Dirtier than your average crack den and with a ferocity to rival its gangland owners, Ringworm‘s album is four years in the making and it impatiently explodes from your speakers grabbing your balls in a way that few hardcore bands seem to manage at the moment without seeming overly staged and trite. Whilst not a landmark release by any means, what we have here is a remarkably well balanced affair of standard hardcore and thrash, piereced by the hallowing screams of vocalist the aptly nicknamed Human Furnace in between sparingly-used solos which throw the relevant nod toward to the metal arena with enough impetus to suitably differentiate this record from many of its rivals.
Far from possessing a radio-friendly single to entice fans into a completely more down-trodden and grungier effort than said single would suggest, a la far too many hardcore bands that you could care to mention, this album seems to get angrier as it goes along. Spitting forth vitriolic rhetoric at every available opportunity, songs like God Eat Dog, Devil’s Kiss, and Death is Not An Option serve to remind you that some bands still don’t actually give a shit. Which is great.
The record’s length may be a bone of contention for some; after less than 28 minutes it’s all over and once you’ve recovered you might hit play once more, but for me that’s a tad short. A few more changes in tempo and rifftacular moments would have possibly increased the score here (case in point, a repeat of what happens from 1:50 onwards during No One Dies Alone – great stuff) which, although would have increased the angle of the record more towards the direction of the metal market, would have just spiced it up that little bit extra for me. As it is, if you’re a fan of Terror, Hatebreed, or perhaps the heavier Darkest Hour stuff, you’re probably very likely to appreciate what’s on offer here.
www.ringworm13.com
Victory Records
Spud