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Bounz the Ball "Compaņeros de Vida" CD
[Superhero]
Despite having one of the lamest band names of all time (What were they thinking!?), I've actually liked what I've heard from this Austrian metallic hardcore band, and this record's no different, though sadly it suffers from a thin recording that with just a little more oomph would've made a huge difference. The problem is that despite the tones sounding pretty good, there's an odd lack of density, so it feels like a lot of low-end got sucked out into nothingness somewhere along the line. The result is that the drums are a little too clicky, the guitars and vocals aren't quite full enough, and the bass is kind of left in the distance to provide a little added punch. It just sounds like the guitars should be louder and heavier, which could've saved the day in one swoop. Like I said, it sounds okay, it's just too damn thin, and for this kind of hardcore that can be a significant problem in how the material comes across. Beyond that, expect 14 tracks of crunchy midpaced power chords and old school breaks with strained vocal shouts that's all very much in line with the 90's style of metallic hardcore that I myself am a big proponent of. There's not a terrible amount of variety, so you should know what to expect, but even the best bands of this style were never particular fond of diversifying. Songs like "The Friendship Effect" and "Social Injustices" throw in a little more speed and plenty of classic hardcore stylings, "Breach of Trust" is textbook metallic hardcore crunch with a sweet breakdown, "Rule #1" has a major Biohazard thing going on, etc. At the end of the disc are two cover songs, an ultra melodic take on The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry" that sounds like a pop-punk track (complete with lighter vocals), and a similar shot of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Amusing, and quite competently performed, but needless to say these tracks clash with the rest of the disc big time. The layout looks decent and keeps a consistent appearance, but like the band name some of the chosen imagery is a little goofy (a locker room, the band on a basketball court, etc.), so... it is what it is, I guess. I don't need to get into the lyrics either, as titles like "Lesson Learned", "Breach of Trust", and "True to the Game" are about as generic as they come for hardcore, so... you know the drill. I will say that they have an anti-racist song called "White Nigga" that's got just about the worst lyrics I've read all year, even if it is lashing out at racism, so... these guys really ought to reign in the cheese factor and try a little harder to leave a mark with something that's easier to take seriously. Fans of stuff like Madball, Agnostic Front (circa "One Voice"), and 25 ta Life, among plenty of other 90's NYHC sounding stuff, should appreciate a lot of what these guys are doing. I'm definitely into a handful of these songs and can easily cite some strengths in the band's approach, but even if the recording were as beneficial as it ought to be, there's way too much goofy shit tied up in this for the band to be taken as seriously as they'd prefer. Not bad, but these guys are capable of so much more... (6/10)
Running time - 38:19, Tracks: 14
[Notable tracks: Lesson Learned, Breach of Trust, Rule #1, True to the Game]
Superhero Records - http://www.superherorecords.com
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