On the Rise "Burning Inside" CD
[Bridge Nine]
Damn, this is a great disc. Bridge Nine does it again with another killer hardcore record, this time from these NYHC cats with a penchant for energetic power chords and a lot of tasteful melody. The bulk of their style is based in old school hardcore, but there's a little bit of rock at times, and the melodic aspects are reminiscent of Turning Point or Gorilla Biscuits given a heavier and more modern spin. The vocals are basically sort of shouted/yelled in key, heading more in the singing direction at times. There's even an awesome melodic solo in "So Slowly Fade", and a handful of tracks feature various guest vocal spots from members of Agnostic Front, Death Threat, Inhuman, and Everybody Gets Hurt. The title track busts out some thick chords and awesome melodic basslines for a really textured sound before breaking into a burst of raging hardcore, "Blank Stare" has a catchy chorus and some great little arpeggios, and "Far Behind" is a bit more upbeat as far as tempo and arrangements are concerned. The recording suits me fine. Everything is clear and the tones are all nice and full. I think I'd like to hear the vocals given a bit more warmth, they have a slightly distant ring right now, and the bass could stand to be more central, but nothing makes that much of a difference. I enjoy the sound as it is. The layout's really cool, it's nice and clean with a lot of white space, one band photo, and some typical Derek Hess artwork. The booklet folds out into six panels with the lyrics all on one side over a huge image of the cover art. Most of the songs deal with pretty typical stuff, personal trials and tribulations, all that. "Get up, Don't hide yourself and take the blame for someone else, We'll stand above, Watch their demise, Fighting back, We're on the rise, When problems arise I'll keep my head up high, In the face of things that I despise." I don't know what else to say. I kind of expected this to be more in the straightforward three chord hardcore vein since a lot of the Bride Nine stuff tends to be in that no frills sort of style, but this is a lot more involved and interesting, without being technical or complex per se. It's definitely really memorable and enjoyable. Check this one out. (7/10)
Running time - 30:35, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: So Slowly Fade, Burning Inside, Blank Stare]
Bridge Nine Records - http://www.bridge9.com

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