Wisdom in Chains "s/t" CD
[Gangstyle]
This international hardcore project features members of Boxcutter, Daredevil, Krutch, and Mushmouth playing pissed off, heavy old school hardcore with a good amount of energy and attitude. Not one track hits three minutes, so they just tear through 11 tracks in about 20 minutes. Despite the raw recording, this is really good stuff that's a lot more memorable than one might expect. The songs are faster and catchier than any of the members' other bands, and I really like the straight yelling vocals. Some of the songs even have a punk influence happening, the "whoa ohhh" backup vocals in "BFL Anthem" or the overall feel of "Time 2 Play", for instance. Hell, they even do a cover of the Misfits' "Angelfuck" to close things out, which surprised the hell out of me. There's an awesome unlisted track after a couple of minutes of silence at the end of the disc, but I have no idea what it is? As mentioned the recording is a little bit raw, but it's still okay - especially considering the consistency of the sound since half was recorded in the US and half was recorded in Europe. The bass presence is solid, the drums sound natural, and for the most part the mix is even. The vocals are a little dominant because they have the clearest sound, but it's not an annoyance. I'd love to hear this stuff with a slightly crunchier guitar tone and a bit more punch as far as brightness in the mix is concerned, but it doesn't really matter because the songs are strong. The layout's alright. I like the bold illustrations and text with a lot of use of white space, but it's pretty basic. The letter and illustrations are done in a graffiti sort of style for the most part. Of course the lyrical content is pretty rugged and what could be considered toughguy stuff in some instances, though some of the tracks are a bit more "lighthearted", if that's the right word. "You're a liar, a liar, you phony piece of shit. You're a liar and now I had to bust your fuckin' lip. You're a liar, a liar, you're not my fuckin' friend. You're not my boy now and you never were then. You're a liar, a liar, you act so fuckin' fake. Then you tried to act surprised when I cracked you in the face..." Not bad at all. I'm not sure how much this project will do in the future what with the international boundaries and their individual scheduling conflicts, but I'd like to see them do another record sometime. (7/10)
Running time - 20:00 (approximately), Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Wasted Life, Nazi Head Stomp, Liar, Lost Feelings]
Gangstyle Records - http://www.gangstylerecords.com

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