Just under a year since their debut, New Jersey quartet Surrender the Weapon is back with a sophomore EP that immediately solidifies their status as one of the most criminally underrated metallic hardcore bands out there right now. If you've missed my prior recommendations, the group's lineup boasts ties that are extremely relevant to my interests:
- Larry Cooney on vocals (Elements DEC, Man Destroyed Man, etc.)
- John Doherty on bass (Elements DEC, Agents of Man, Truth & Rights, Man Destroyed Man, etc.)
- Dan Sobon on guitar (For the Love Of..., Strength 691, etc.)
- Scott Winchell on drums (For the Love Of...)
Their technical and progressive form of metallic hardcore rightfully comes across as a fusion of the members' résumés, but definitely extends beyond in terms of the unique creativity of the songwriting. The majority of the riffing has an unusually winding, dissonant quality but is also very rhythmic and possesses a fluid undercurrent of melody, resulting in a constant sense of motion that's deceptively complicated.
Probably the darkest of the bunch, opener "Counterfeit" is at times reminiscent of post-'90s Burn, though trickier with its rhythmic twists and the precisions of its discordance. "Actuality" is both higher-energy and more melodic—proving that you can take a hardass, chugging rhythm and still keep it fresh and interesting with nothing generic about it. Then, like their debut, closer "The Pact" is the overall "hit" for me. The chorus part that begins, "Now that you are gone forever there's a void..." is such a stark contrast to the verses, and then the changeup at the end with, "When I'm gone, pick a song to remember me..." Whew. Chills. I mean, most of us have lost someone, and most of us have those songs... It's just so rare for these types of bands to strike on something that fuses heaviness and emotion that way. Can't get enough.
Great production, too. Everything's super crisp and clear, killer bass presence, well-balanced percussion with a great snap to the snare, guitars run the show without overpowering, the vocals sit right alongside but still retain texture and detail... And that also allows the lyrics to make a mark, tending to have an undercurrent of political commentary, but in my opinion approached in a way that—while suggestive—remains open enough to leave room for interpretation and application on the part of the listener.
I'm gonna rant here, but it drives me fuckin' crazy that these select few bands that I especially flip for tend to remain largely unsung gems. I know I'm not crazy in hearing something special here, 'cause a few readers have hit me up in agreement, so why am I one of the only ones screaming about it!? I'm not an idiot, I know a band like Surrender the Weapon isn't gonna be the next Turnstile or some shit, but where's the respect? I'm in the minority for whom Elements DEC is a big deal, fair enough; but For the Love Of... had releases on Ferret Music—just enough to give them a bit of a cult legacy—so... can we get some ears on this shit, please?
Why is it that almost any demo-only band that borrows from the "right" style of late-'80s/early-'90s-inspired NYHC artwork and/or makes their sound an effective mirror of the "right" scene-approved classic band tends to get a fair amount of word-of-mouth hype out the gate, but a project like Surrender the Weapon that's inventive on its own has to scratch and claw for even a paltry number of streams? I know, I know, in this age where tens of thousands of albums get added to streaming services every week, this is the plight of every musician, but... I just feel like there's something with hardcore in particular where it's entirely possible for the cream of the crop to curdle and rot due to bullshit factors that have nothing to do with the one question that matters: is the music good?
The answer, of course, is yes. This music rips, and it's doing something meaningful, emotionally compelling, and original. Therefore, if you enjoy it, spread the word, damnit...
Get It
- Bandcamp (mp3)
- Spotify (stream)
- Apple Music (stream)
- YouTube (stream)
