Not bad, here's some straight up metallic hardcore from Italy that sticks to the tried and true formula of taking relatively fast and traditional hardcore and adding in aggressive yelling vocals and a little more of a metal tinge to the picking patterns and breakdowns. The recording needs a little bit of work, but other than that they're good to go. I like that they give the bass some breathing room here and there, but the guitar tone ought to be a little crunchier and the drums could use added warmth as well. They're definitely on the right track, but the drums cut through the mix and overpower the guitars on occasion, and while effective they do just need some added depth and clarity to give the material the crushing power it ought to possess for what they're doing. From a songwriting standpoint they're already set in my opinion, keeping things short but sweet with tracks that average two minutes each and harness plenty of energy. They're not dropping any surprises, it's basically a mix of midpaced to fast chord progressions with chunky slower breaks arranged like classic old school hardcore songs with a heavier metallic edge, at times tossing in some dual guitar interaction or quick lead breaks for an added dose of metal. "Commit Suicide" is among the more energetic blasts of hardcore, "Lead" is the only track that maintains a slower sort of churning pace from start to finish, "Faceless Heartless" has a little more rock to its rhythmic flow, and "The Curse" is a little catchier somehow and also has an unexpected dash of post-hardcore textures later in the song (as expressed earlier in the similar "No Voice"). The layout keeps it simple with a minimal color scheme, basic imagery, and some band photos mixed in with the lyrics. Despite being a straightedge band that supports vegan/vegetarian lifestyles, the lyrics aren't very overbearing in that regard. There are a few references to such issues tied in with your usual fare of staying true and all that, but they rarely come right out with it. That pretty much covers it, really. The disc's pretty short and wraps up in a flash, so... fans of this style should watch out for these guys. A little more variety wouldn't hurt since they're not offering anything new to the genre, but they're already doing pretty well for themselves while straying true to a traditional sound, so that's not much of an issue. They definitely have the potential to make some noise down the line, so we'll see what comes next...
[Catalyst]
Running time - 25:00 (approximately), Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Commit Suicide, No Voice, The Curse]
Catalyst Records - http://www.xcatalystx.com
