I was expecting another How It Ends debacle with this album, I’ll be honest – same label, same patronising press release guff and some rather aggressive-reading lyrics. Thank Christ that sometimes I am wrong.
Though it won’t exactly change the face of Music As We Know It, Don’t Push Us… manages to serve up a fair few helpings of interesting, angular and (much as I hazard to say it, what with the word being used on the PR wank) schizophrenic tunes. The vast majority of tracks manage to grab hold of the listener from the get go, which is all well and good. It’s unfortunate the interest soon wanes and boredom sets in.
Whilst songs like ‘Dude Status: Revoked’ and ‘Yeah, You’re Pretty But Do You Think You’ll Really Get Away With It’ kick in with some force and throw a few curveballs to keep you on your toes, they all too easily slip into the usual trappings that a lot of Converge-lite* hardcore bands seem to. It gets boring. Fast. The dramatic changes become predictable breakdowns and the endless chorus of gang vocals does more than grate a little after extended listens. Endless aggression also bores me personally. But I shouldn’t say that should I – this is a review after all, and we all know we’re not allowed individual opinions.
All in all, Don’t Push Us… just feels lacking in many respects – even sound quality is weak. It’s not a bad album, but bah gawd it ain’t a good one. Stick with Dillinger for something challenging and exciting, or Converge for something with fucking impact.
Cliched statements in an easy-to-digest format: for fans of the genre, one to build upon, not as good as it could have been, it’s a game of two halves, at the end of the day.
*This statement does not mean I do not like the ‘Verge. I do. Just thought I’d pre-empt that one.
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Ian