Raised Fist – ‘From The North’

More often than not, the bands that maintain the most credibility are the ones that fly below the mainstream radar. This has always been the case for Swedish hardcore band Raised Fist, but not because they didn’t “get a break”, but because they have always chosen to eschew this world in favour of creating their own following and allowing themselves complete creative control over their own destiny on their terms for a staggering 22 years in the game. They must be doing something right when they can count everyone from their hardcore peers Sick Of It All, to Australian metalcore superstars I Killed The Prom Queen and even rock icon’s such as Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson among their fans, and on their sixth album ‘From The North’ Raised Fist are living proof that DIY will never die.

As always with Raised Fist’s output, the content of ‘From The North’ is politically charged and filled with discontent of the society we live in, all of which is evident in the opening fury of ‘Flow’. Frontman Alex Hagman’s frantic delivery is as lightening quick as ever over the trademark stop/start riffs that have been part of Raised Fist trademark sound over the years. ‘Chaos’ and ‘Man and Earth’ have recaptured the energetic urgency that was ever present throughout their debut full length ‘Fuel’ in 1998 that was somewhat lacking on their previous album, and with the six year gap leading up to this record seemingly giving the band a new lease of life. ‘We Will Live Forever’ is a classic hardcore anthem in the making, giving their contemporaries Ignite a run for their money, leading perfectly into the powerhouse of ‘Sanction’ which is textbook Raised Fist.

The album ever so slightly tails off towards the end as a few weaker tracks fall into the mix and when they try to work outside the constraints of their progressive hardcore sound, ‘Ready To Defy’ and ‘Depression’ fall slightly flat by comparison. However never a band to be down for the count for too long, Raised Fist jump right back up with ‘Gates’, which is absolutely huge with its near blast beat drumming and colossal breakdown in the last quarter, and ‘Until The End’ makes the hairs on your arms stand on end and gives more goose bumps this side of a Strike Anywhere album.

As with every Raised Fist record, and what sets them apart from the abhorrent clichés within aggressive music, of purely sounding tough just to clarify you are angry with the world, is the sheer amount of passion that spills from every syllable spat in Hagman’s vocals. It won’t be for everyone, but those who know the emotion that they can evoke and that invest in both the ethos and ethic of what this band is about will agree that it is a joy Raised Fist are still making relevant hardcore punk after all these years.

GLEN BUSHELL