Fast old school styled hardcore with straight yelling vocals and a little bit of melody thrown in for good measure. They're from Massachusetts, and they kind of have a sound similar to a variety of that area's more notable hardcore bands. Most recently I'd say this has similarities to bands like The Suicide File to a degree, though this is perhaps more to the point on some level. None of the songs hit three minutes, it all cuts to the chase. On occasion there are a few chord progressions that sound flat out lifted from late-80's classics, but for the most part they play the tried and true style without getting boring or anything like that. I mean, sure they're rehashing something that's been done a million times, even down to the quick discordant chords or rocked out leads/bass runs, but... they're very good at it. I like the recording. Everything is loud and full, the bass tone rules, the mix is even... I don't really have any complaints. Every now and then they throw some nice distortion over the vocals, and that works out too. The layout's mostly black and white with some faint blue on the cover, and everything looks good. The photos are well done, the text is clean and legible, etc. As for the lyrics, most of the songs are personal, with a few dealing with more of a "message based" approach. "Rammed down our throat everyday it's everywhere I can't escape consumer culture replacing the old reduced to spectators reduced to drones it's happening right now we're being mind fucked America's corporations are lubing up their cocks..." Good stuff. They're not breaking new ground, but if you like your hardcore free of extraneous influences from other genres, this band should hit the spot.
[Dead Alive]
Running time - 20:35, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Anthem for the Masses, Darby Drive, Broken Records]
Dead Alive Records - http://www.deadaliverecords.com
