Fifteen Dead from Scotland crush three tracks of black metal-infused crust. Decent enough, but doesn’t commit enough to either genre for my tastes. I dig both styles, but this is in some middle ground I can’t totally jive with. Population Zero from Philly are way more my speed, playing a more traditional metallic d-beat with some of the most frenzied vocals I’ve heard since the high-pitched bloke in Extreme Noise Terror. Not the most crucial release, but the Population Zero side is worth a listen.
–Tim Brooks (Suburban White Trash, suburbanwhitetrashrecords.com)