No Warning "Ill Blood" CD
[Bridge Nine]
Here's the debut full-length from this heavy hardcore act out of Canada, and it's every bit as strong as their prior releases. They don't really offer any surprises, but they're good at what they do, and what they do is crank out 12 tracks of pissed off New York styled hardcore in less than 30 minutes. The vocal shouts definitely remind me of Madball, as does the music to some degree, but this isn't toughguy stuff or anything like that. The songs can tend to sound the same, so it's definitely a good thing that the running times rarely hit the three-minute mark, but there are definitely a lot of memorable moments and the tempo changes definitely help to keep things moving along without stagnating to the point where it gets boring. The production is fucking great on this thing. I'm loving it. The guitars sound perfect, the bass presence is there, the vocals are barely out in front of the music, and the drums are punchy without being too rigid. The bass tone also has great definition, which is cool because sometimes the bass runs stray from mimicking the guitars. They've got a really full and balanced sound, which is what most bands that play this style of hardcore really need to be effective. I like the layout. It's somewhat unusual to see illustrations like this used for cover art on hardcore records these days, so that's cool. The inside of the booklet has some black and white live shots and lyrics, keeping things simple and clean. The lyrics are all personal, and while they're not exactly deep and philosophical, they're not totally redundant or generic for the genre, which is nice. "If I'm quiet - I'm thinking. Don't ask what about. There's a reason for the silence and why the words don't come out. If they did, would it matter? Would you listen? Left alone, for how much longer? It doesn't kill me. I feel stronger." Another damn fine release from both the band and the label. I wouldn't be complaining if these guys diversified a little bit more, because I think they have the potential to do something even more powerful, but we'll see what the future holds. Good work. (7/10)
Running time - 26:21, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Answer the Call, Growing Silent, All New Low, Ill Blood]
Bridge Nine Records - http://www.bridge9.com

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