Cast Aside "Demo 2002" CD
[self-released]
Holy shit... here's some fucking killer straightedge hardcore from Richmond fucking Virginia that pulls no punches and goes straight for the throat. The songs are short as shit, averaging about a minute-and-a-half each, with a good mix of straight up old school hardcore chord progressions, brutal breakdowns, lots of tempo changes, forceful vocal shouts, the works. It's not melodic, there's no real metal, it's just fucking hardcore. At times it reminds me of older Madball or something along those lines, but the vocals are pretty unique, and the heavier moments lean towards that mid-90's Cleveland hardcore type of vibe to some degree. The production is damn good for a demo, too. The drums sound solid, the guitars are heavy but pretty clear, and the vocals are right where they should be in the mix. It's sort of hard to hear the bass, which is sort of surprising as the guitars leave just enough room for it, but it still sounds fine. The CD-R comes in a slim jewel case with a rough looking xerox insert that has a really D.I.Y. appearance. I can't tell what's on the cover because there's been some degeneration in the reproduction process, but it looks like a dead soldier slung over a barbwire fence or something like that. The back has some contact information, and the lyrics are inside. As far as the content goes, this is a straightedge band and they're fucking proud of it. The bulk of the songs are pretty bitter, dealing with trust, respect, revenge, etc. - and most of them tie in to straightedge in one way or another. "You said you'd always be there until the fuckin' end, Then you sold out straightedge and betrayed your friends, Forgiveness is not an option, Now you're dead, I will not forgive what you did, Never backing down from a fuckin' fight, Why don't you step on up and we'll see whose right..." Fuck yeah. This is great stuff. "Say Goodbye" is an instant classic. Look out for these guys. Damn, I wish this demo was longer... (7/10)
Running time - 8:38, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Say Goodbye, Forgive and Forget, Take Control]
Cast Aside - http://www.xcastasidex.com

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