Over My Dead Body "Sink or Swim" CD
[Indecision]
More heavy straightedge hardcore from this California band who unloads some really short "full-lengths"! 13 tracks in 21 minutes, and not one of 'em tops three minutes, with most hovering right around a minute-and-a-half. This band has a good grasp on taking hardcore into a heavy direction without introducing any metal into the mix. "Tunnel Vision" is probably the heaviest song, mainly due to its moderate pace, but it's still not something I would necessarily call "metallic". But they've got a lot happening within their general direction. "Broken Backs" is a little faster and more aggressive than some of the other tracks; "Bricks" has a catchy punk vibe, complete with some raspy singing vocals; "Always and Forever" is textbook old school hardcore with a modern edge, etc. I like the recording. I think the vocals are too dominant, but they still sound great. Just pissed off, over the top yells. The guitars are heavy but clear, you can make out some bass, and the drums sound fine by me. I'd drop the vocals back in with the music and let the guitars take a little more space, but that's about it. No big deal. The layout's cool. The entire booklet is tinted a shade of grayish blue, the lyrics are easy to read, the band photos work, etc. All of the songs have brief explanations listed after the lyrics, which tend to deal with the usual topics of friends, family, straightedge, and hardcore in general, but the lyrics often tackle the issues from a slightly different angle than normal, and the line preceding the lyrics in the booklet pretty much lays the ground for the entire record: "We have reached a point in hardcore where passion is being replaced with complacency. Where heart is being replaced with a 'look'. It is time to take this back, it's time to sink or swim..." I like this better than their last record. They're not blowing my mind, but I'm into it, and they keep it short but sweet. If you've enjoyed their past work you should definitely dig this. (7/10)
Running time - 20:52, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: Bricks, Tunnel Vision, Don't Call it a Comeback, Always and Forever]
Indecision Records - http://www.indecisionrecords.com

This review has been displayed 2296 times.