This is some of the best hardcore I’ve heard in quite some time. It’s driven with such force, but it takes control of that drive, fully in charge the entire time. It feels natural to go into a breakdown after the balls-out rock that precedes it. And the breakdowns? Damn, they’re heavy. It’s recorded so that it comes together as a band, not individuals, not one overpowering another. It’s dense and filled with so much going on in every track. On my second listen I began wondering how many tracks they had to record to get that complexity. Then I looked at the liner notes. There are eight members. Eight! They have two vocalists, a drummer, two bass players and (count ‘em) THREE guitars! That helped explain things. The packaging is amazing as well: black gatefold with the graphics and text pressed into it. The booklet inside is glossy and filled with these great illustrations. They provide lyrics, thankfully. I’m not so great at deciphering them. They’re on a brief hiatus from shows now, just getting back from touring Europe, but I know I’ll be looking to see them the next time out.
–megan (Robotic Empire)