Arson Anthem – S/T (c) 2007 Housecore RecordsFrom the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina arises the legacy of hardcore brutality. Mike Williams lost a lot, including his home, in the post Katrina riots. Phil Anselmo just happened to have a spare apartment. The two sat around spending hours listening to Phil’s early hardcore music collection. Throw Hank III and Collin Yeo into the equation and you’ve got Arson Anthem. The self-titled debut has eight track of old school, raw as all get out, hardcore reminiscent of bands like Negative Approach and early Agnostic Front. On top of the brutality, you can still hear the southern roots. It makes for an interesting sound, like the Allman Brothers in an alternate universe or something. My personal imaginings aside, you too can find something old in something new when you rock the paint off the sonofabitchin’ walls with Arson Anthem.–Jerry Actually
Category: Hardcore
Hardcore Reviews
N.S.O.A. – For the Forgotten
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(c) 2007 NSOA
New Society of Anarchists are back with another edition in their continuing saga of gut-wrenching and brutal musical onslaught. “For the Forgotten” explodes with 20 tracks of some of the most true to form hardcore in the game. The songs are fast, pissed and in your face. For fans of NSOA, all the familiar sounds are there: crunching guitars, machine gun drums, reinforcing backup vocals. However, In comparison to recent past releases the sound on the new disc is noticeably more raw. I suspect that this is due in part to the absence of former? bass player Jason Z. Bass and vox are now being handled simultaneously by Zakk Z. The music is certainly intact, but you can hear where things have been re-arranged to accommodate the current line up. Above all the hardcore rings true: The outrage at social injustice, The strong sense of unity, The feeling that you just got your head smacked by a Mac truck with a combat boot for a hood ornament.
–Jerry Actually
The Warriors [Genuine Sense of Outrage]
The Warriors – Genuine Sense of Outrage (c) 2007 Victory RecordsBrand new on shelves today is some solid hardcore on Victory Records. Genuine Sense of Outrage, by Oxnard’s own The Warriors, thankfully brings some guts back to the cadre of Victory releases. Featuring 13 tracks of slightly melodic East Coast style hardcore amply laden with fearsome thrash metal riffs. (albeit from California) Despite the misgivings that some may have against West Coast Hardcore, The Warriors obviously bring it enough to have guest vox from Sick Of It All’s Lou Koller and thee Lemmy Kilmister. The Warriors hold true to the roots of harcore and let the world know that they are fucking pissed, that this ain’t a fashion show and that they can bring some heart back to the scene. –Jerry Actually
All Out War [Assassins in the House of God]
All Out War – Assassins in the House of God (c) 2007 Victory Records There have been words bandied about to describe the sound of All Out War, words like: brutal and the most brutal and totally brutal and brutal hardcore. My friends, these words are true.� “Assassins in the House of God”, The brand sparkin’ new disc from All Out War is a gutsy thrashcore assault to senses and an affront to any other band that can’t or wont do it like this. With out delving to deeply into the lyrical content of the disc, there are 11 tracks of aggro metal hardcore decrying evil in the name of religion. It is certainly an oft-covered topic, but based on the state of the world today, a timely one still. All Out War packs the dark metal intensity of Slayer or later Testament and delivers it with hardcore bombast like Sick of It All or Blood for Blood. Basically what I’m saying is that All Out War kicks ass on hardcore metal without having to rely on vocal styles ripped off from Napalm Death.–Jerry Actually
Beneath the Sky [What Demons do to Saints]
Beneath the Sky What Demons Do To Saints (c) 2007 Victory Records Holy freakin’ anger for anger’s sake. Spooky and demonic and you can totally tell these tough guys mean business just by looking at their scary mugs. They can play fast and bust into a pick scratch and then Azreal takes over and turns it into sucking shit. I guess if what they are trying to do is piss off the parents of angsty teens, well then sir, they have succeeded. What Demon’s Do To Saints … um, I guess they’re good at what they do. Serial killers are good at what they do too, but that doesn’t mean they ought to get praise. 666 demon thumbs down. This is freakin’ awful and pointless.–Team !upstarter
Freya [Lift The Curse]
Freya – Lift The Curse (c) 2007 Victory Records Forged from the fire of Earth Crisis and blessed by the Norse Goddess of TGIF, I submit to you, Freya. Lift The Curse is the newest effort from the Syracuse band that is equal parts metal and hardcore. The structure is certainly hardcore. Some of the guitar fills and breakdowns and the vocals are definitely METAL though. I have never been a fan of really harsh vocal growlings. Freya is on the edge there. The music helps reel it back in a bit, but overall Lift the Curse is a bit too vocal crunchy for me. Freya does go and keep it short attention span friendly though, with tracks lingering around the two and a half minute mark, with the exception of the prerequisite cover of War Pigs. All in all a good release, but again I’d like to hear less growl. –Jerry Actually
Scars of Tomorrow [The Failure in Drowning]
Scars of Tomorrow – The Failure in Drowning (c) 2006 Victory RecordsScars of tomorrow makes me want to make scars of today in my fucking ears. Their weak attempt at metal and arena drums only helps to promote the scars in my ear drums. Say it don’t spray it jerks. You’re so black and evil and dark. I want to be your ear nose and throat guy and make a frickin’ mint. There is some decent riffs on occasion, but you go ahead and fuck it all up with the growling screams. Let me reiterate, Rah Rah Re Rah! 13 thumbs down. With loving respect,Team !upstarter
On The Last Day
On The Last Day – Meaning in the Static (c) 2006 Victory RecordsNot my cup of tea, yet again. On The Last Day is a screamo band from Seattle. Whomever is responsible for their one sheet is sadly mistaken when they refer to them as hardcore. They are about as hardcore as Tool. Every song sounds remarkably like the one preceeding it. Musically, On The Last Day, holds some promise. Their musicianship appears to be high quality, however, there is a serious lack in the creativity department. Beyond that I think perhaps if I hear one more band with the forced snarl/growling vocal sound (you know exactly what I'm talking about), I may have to lose my lunch.
Bury Your Dead
Bury Your Dead – Beauty and the Breakdown (c) 2006 Victory RecordsMassachusetts band Bury Your Dead brings down a brand new furious assault with their new release ‘Beauty and the Breakdown’ Behold the 11 tracks of hardcore metal power. Grinding guitars, and pounding drums will hammer a rhythmic pulse into the deep recesses of your mind, while subtle melodic underpinings keep you intrigued as the songs continue their constant pummeling. This is good old fashioned hardcore metal, the kind your parents will still be afraid of.�Cheers,Jerry Actually
Scars of Tomorrow
Scars of Tomorrow – The Beginning of (c) 2006 Thorp RecordsSubmitted for your approval, the brutal hardcore metal sounds of Scars of Tomorrow. “The Beginning of” is an all out aggressive assault of the early years of Scars of Tomorrow. The new release re-surfaces out-of-print material from the band’s pre Victory era. Much of the CD has a tendency to be too melodic and too metal for my tastes. Not to say it is a bad release, cause it ain’t. It’s that I hung up the strictly metal hat many moons ago. Combing Crunching guitars, pounding drums, growling vox, thundering bass and layer on the harmonics and melodic guitar lines and you’ve got yourself the beginning of Scars of Tomorrow.