I picked this up after being impressed by this band's live show, and the 7" definitely delivers on some forceful hardcore rooted in the old school style but with a slight bit more heaviness and some totally pissed off vocal shouts. Of course the songs revolve mostly around basic chord progressions that vary from moderately paced to fast, but they do throw in some slower breakdowns as well as some quick little lead lines that come as a bit of a surprise. It's not really original, but it is memorable, and they're great at what they do. The production isn't that bad, but the mix needs a little bit more clarity. The vocals are sort of hard to hear, the guitars are slightly loud, etc. Everything seems to sound good on an individual level, I just want to hear more of a balance, because the basslines are fucking killer (as is the bass tone), and I think that lowering the guitars and letting the bass and vocals have more space would really make this record crush. The layout looks awesome. The 7" comes on clear yellow vinyl in a sleeve with awesome high contrast illustrations in black, white, gray and yellow by hardcore's favorite new artist, Linas Garsys. Inside is a yellow insert with some additional artwork, a few small band photos, and the lyrics, which are pretty straightforward: "Yesterday was a lifetime ago, Never ending dreams of new tomorrows, Forgotten friends, forgotten dreams, What we were was ripped from the seams, The cycle keeps moving, new replaces old, Nothing lasts forever, It's time to break the mold, Today is ours right from the start, We are the ones that set this apart, Fuck those kids with no fucking heart." Yeah. Good stuff. Fans of real hardcore with attitude should definitely be into this. I just wish the damn thing was a little longer!
[Dead by 23]
Running time - 5:00 (approximately), Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: My Last Words, Forward Motion]
Dead by 23 Records - http://www.deadby23.com
