Terror "One With the Underdogs" CD
[Trustkill]
Their long awaited full-length is here at last, and you can bet your ass it delivers. Just over a half-hour of brutal hardcore with a little metal to its heaviness, so expect typical chord progressions with a moderate tempo, massive breakdowns, pissed vocal yells with huge backup shouts, etc. Original? Nah, they're not rewriting any books here, but the songwriting is top notch for the genre, keeping its roots intact while also managing to be pretty catchy (see emphatic tracks like the menacing "Overcome" for evidence of that). Jamey Jasta and Ezec do some guest vocals in "Spit My Rage", though it's kind of hard to tell (Jasta's voice has less character under these recording conditions and Ezec only rocks the last line of the song); and then Freddy Madball does a verse in "Find My Way", which is an awesome track. All you really need is fucking "Out of My Face" though, the title says it all, because that shit is straight up fucking vicious through and through... tons of attitude, heavier than average rhythms for the band... the works. Sheer perfection. It doesn't get much better than the breakdown in "Enemies in Sight" either... priceless. The production sounds damn good, but it does lack a certain over the top punch somehow, I don't know. Most releases of this nature that are coming from labels like Trustkill tend to have a little bit more low-end massiveness happening, which definitely makes a difference, but this one, while balanced, doesn't have that extra kick. Everything sounds really good, I think I'd just like to hear louder bass guitar, more density to aspects of the drums, and the vocals could stand to drop back a bit. The vocals inch out in front a tad, but I get used to it quickly. Make no mistake, it sounds killer, I just think it could sound better if a little of the dryness around the edges was beefed up. The layout's consistent and keeps it pretty simple with dirty textures over the photos and lots of blank space around the lyrics. I'm really not into the cover image because it's just not that strong to me, but everything else looks killer. The CD itself is a black disc made out to look like vinyl and all that, complete with ridges, which I believe is limited to the first pressing. Lyrically the songs are largely personal and just deal with being pissed off, the fucked up state of the world, being dedicated and true to yourself, putting people in their places, etc. It's all straight to the point with no bullshit whatsoever. I liked their EP on Bridge Nine a little better because I think the recording was a bit beefier and the shorter running time was a win-win situation, but this record is in no way a letdown, and I'd bet that these guys have yet to drop their finest work. I'm still all for it. (8/10)
Running time - 32:28, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Less Than Zero, Overcome, Out of My Face, Find My Way]
Trustkill Records - http://www.trustkill.com

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