Internal Affairs "Casualty of the Core" 7"
[Malfunction]
This thing kicks off with a sweet intro (you don't get many of those these days) before diving into nine tracks of heavy old school styled hardcore just the way I like it. The vocals are straight yelling, the music is in your face with no bullshit, it's hard hitting without being metallic, etc. All of the songs are short as hell, and they tend to be fast, but there are a lot of slick breakdowns, and the speed is perfectly handled so it doesn't go over the top and lose its feel. That's pretty much all there is to it. Short but sweet. The recording is pretty damn good. There's a little extra treble hanging around, I think from the vinyl, but the bass is dead center, the guitars have a good level of density, the drums sound great, etc. I'd be curious to hear these songs on CD because I bet they'd sound clearer, but fuck it. The record comes on clear blue vinyl and the sleeve is full color on the outside, black and white on the inside, with lyrics, live photos, and all the usual inclusions. I love the lyrics because the attitude conveyed is just pissed: "You're nothing but a cop out, Always spittin' bullshit outta your mouth, You're a fucking sell out, Setting the standards and you went south..." Good stuff. This thing's over in a flash and the songs don't hit me quite as hard as their demo did, but they're still in the upper tier of straight up hardcore bands that's out there right now, especially on the west coast. Keep an eye on these guys... (7/10)
Running time - 8:00 (approximately), Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Intro, Casualty of the Core, Cop Out]
Malfunction Records - http://www.malfunctionrecords.com

This review has been displayed 2429 times.