I didn't have huge expectations for this since I've never been a big fan of Slapshot past their first couple of records, and it's always hard to expect the best from a hardcore band that's been kicking around to various degrees for two decades, you know? However, this isn't a bad EP, and in fact there's some cool stuff here. Of course it's straight hardcore in the classic style, they're not trying to rewrite any books with this thing, kicking it off right away with "Relight the Fire" - one of the catchiest and most true to form tracks herein. "Tear it Down" is another straightforward hardcore track (coming in at less than two minutes), while "Hardcore Rules" brings in a touch of melody to spice things up. The bold yet tongue-in-cheek "Fuck New York" is a little heavier (no metal, though) and more midpaced, with "Rap Sucks" taking a similarly over the top lyrical approach that, while mildly hokey, is humorous and in line with the band's pissed off/no bullshit attitude to say the least. "Spread the Fear" is a little slower and longer than the other songs, bringing in some noisy chords for added effect, but still maintaining a consistent aesthetic with the other material. Oh, and do I even need to bother mentioning that Choke's inimitably gruff shouts are absolutely on point? The recording is fine. It's not overly polished but it is clear and has a solid mix. The bass tone kicks ass and plays a good role, the drums sound fine, the vocals are well textured without being overpowering, and the guitars get the job done without being too heavily distorted. The layout is honestly pretty damn weak though, with random images of debris, buildings being demolished, and a hockey fight, with no lyrics included or anything... just some tiny pictures of the band and recording credits across the entire inner spread - which is largely blank sans the faint background image. What makes a big difference in the overall value of this disc, however, is the CD-Rom content. Much like Blood for Blood's "Serenity" EP, Thorp delivers an awesome set of extras with this thing. First up is a 15-minute "making of" type of deal that includes studio and interview footage. It's all really amusing stuff, and actually gives the viewer far more respect for the band and their longevity. They make a lot of valid points about never officially breaking up or citing any "final shows", etc., as they're just having fun... and when the fun stops, the band will stop. Next up are two fairly recent live videos - "Firewalker" and "Step on It" - shot in black and white with solid audio/video quality. Then the last segment is a brief trailer for Slapshot's "The First 20 Years" DVD, which should be out this year, and it looks to be fucking awesome - including interviews with all of the band's founding members, classic live footage, and tons more. Good stuff. I'll definitely be looking forward to the DVD, if nothing else...
[Thorp]
Running time - 17:00 (approximately), Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Relight the Fire, Fuck New York, Hardcore Rules]
Thorp Records - http://www.thorprecords.com
