Israel’s scene is small, as can you imagine; everyone knows each other. Monotonix, The Genders, Not On Tour, as well as newer bands like Sweatshop Boys, The Orions, ZagaZaga, etcetera. Useless ID has been one of the most successful under the punk/hardcore umbrella. And with reason: these guys honestly crush most Southern Californians at their own game. Their craft is flawless: blistering melodic hardcore that truthfully sounds like a modern 7 Seconds during the verses, paired with (very authentic) Bad Religion-esque choruses that have harmonies down so goddamn-tight, they’re goose bump-inducing. No doubt the Blasting Room recording with Bill Stevenson at the helm had something to with that—sure—but a studio can only capture what’s already there. Politically charged, without being over the top, these tracks are super slick, almost skate punk at times, but with enough grit to keep them aggressive enough. I’m an awful picky bastard with this subgenre, but I’ll definitely be listening to this again. –Steve Adamyk (Fat, fatwreck.com)