Any Last Words "s/t" 7"
[Havoc]
This is fast hardcore/punk with no frills. There's not a whole lot of variety at all, it's mainly straight shouting vocals and basic chord progressions with lots of pounding basslines. There's more of a punk influence than most late-80's styled hardcore, but I'd say this is definitely influenced by some of that era's notables. A few tracks like "Ten Run Rule" blow out raging speeds and killer fast vocal patterns (some of which lend a crossover sort of feel to the tracks), but the speed usually sticks to a pretty standard level of intensity - with a few solid breakdowns here and there. The recording is on the raw side, but I can live with it. The bass tone fucking rules, and I like that the vocals fall in with the music, but the guitars and drums could probably use a bit more force. The drums aren't too bad off, but the guitar tone is sort of weak, and overall there's a little extra high-end grit over the mix. The record comes in a black and white sleeve that looks slick as hell, though. I love the illustrations, and inside you'll get a few band photos, all of the lyrics, and brief song explanations as well. I like the lyrics because they're pissed off but totally honest, taking on emo, scenesters, insincerity, and a little bit of politics and the general state of this fucked up world. Good stuff. From a songwriting standpoint I like this band. Yeah, they're generic, but they've got the right attitude. A better recording would make a world of difference... (6/10)
Running time - 12:00 (approximately), Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Ten Run Rule, Hardcore Prom Queen, Why Won't You Die?]
Havoc Records - http://www.havocrex.com

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