This band features ex-members of Diehard Youth, and their style is a heavier form of straightforward metallic hardcore. The recording on this demo blows ass, but it seems like the songs would be pretty fuckin' ripping with a better sound. It's just way too raw and unbalanced. The drums are super crispy and sound like a drum machine, I can't hear any bass, the guitars sound decent but feel too quiet, and the vocals are mixed too low behind the guitars - except that the gang vocals are too loud!? If they evened up the mix they'd be alright, but cleaning up some of the tones, or at least warming up the drums would be a big help. Musically you're in for tons of brutal breakdowns (but nothing too metallic or over the top), moderate tempos, yelling vocals, and a little bit of melody on occasion. It definitely has that 90's west coast vibe to some of it, at times reminiscent of a heavier Outspoken or something like that. Not bad at all, I just can't really deal with the production. The CD-R comes in a plastic sleeve with a xeroxed cover. There's some odd art on the outside (kids jumping into a river or something), and the lyrics are inside with a sticker of the band logo. The lyrics are bitter and pretty much deal with being yourself and fighting for what you believe in, you know the drill. I can't give this a much more lenient rating because the presentation is weak and the recording is sub-par even for a demo in my opinion, but these are good songs, and I know this band will kick ass if they pick up the pace a little and nail a better sound down the road, so watch out for 'em.
[For the Core]
Running time - 8:15, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Signature, Way of the Gun]
With or Without You - http://www.withorwithoutyou.cjb.net
