Sledgehammer "Your Arsonist" CD
[Superhero]
This unexpected "all-star" collaboration features the infamous Dwid on vocals, while members of European metalcore icons Liar and Congress lay down the musical backbone. Don't expect anything that sounds like their full-time bands, however, as this is basically a raw recording of straight heavy hardcore that seems to have been done for fun more than anything. Expect some straightforward old school sounding chord progressions, heavier breakdowns that don't get too out of control, a little bit of midpaced groove on occasion, and of course Dwid's inimitable vocal domination. "I'm Watching You" throws in some brief singing backup vocals for a little added variety; while "So Very Friendly" opens with a whispered intro that sort of kills the flow of the EP for a bit, but the rest of the track is a little more midpaced and pissed off, which rules. "London's Burning", along with "Let Me Entertain You", are the more up front metallic hardcore cuts, pulling no punches at all. As an unlisted bonus you'll get "Clevo-Hardcore Bringin' it Back", an amusing tune created using samples from the one and only Tony Erba and Face Value with silly dance beats and electronic music. Another unlisted bonus is some weird country jingle about "The Tornado", the origins of which I do not know!? The sound is a little too raw, but that's somewhat to be expected I guess. It has a distant sort of demo sound to it, not like it was recorded live, but definitely like it was put together pretty quickly. Sadly that does detract from the material as the songs would pack more of a punch with a crisper and heavier sound (the songs are damn good, in fact), but you still get the point this way. It really would kick ass with the same sound as, say, the Integrity "To Die For" EP, though. The layout steals artwork and emblematic ideas from Van Halen, Walt Disney, and others in a layout mocked up like a reissue of an 8-track cassette. Snippets of the lyrics are included in brief passages inside and keep things succinct: "Ignite the night, just don't make a sound. Too many voices, just can't burn them out. I've got this flame, you'll never learn." I'm guessing this is a one-off release that will be the only Sledgehammer material that surfaces, but you never know. From what I understand this thing has sold pretty fast, so... fans of the involved parties should take action. (6/10)
Running time - 17:20, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: So Very Friendly, Let Me Entertain You]
Superhero Records - http://www.superherorecords.com

This review has been displayed 2138 times.