Wow. This CD is unrelenting, it has been a long time since I have been so immensely hooked into a hardcore album as deep and clever as this. Straight from the first track your earbells are confronted to a frenzy of noise and angst as the five piece don’t let up for all eleven tracks. This CD is a hardcore gem, and you all should know about it.
Hailing from Milwaukee and having only been together for three years they have created a sound which many of the veteran hardcore heroes would of been proud of, and it is no surprise that Kurt Ballou of Converge fame took the producing duties. The gambit on the opening track sets the tone for the album… “Get high on this mutiny and now that you’ve turned it on, all that is left to do is to turn it up, So Turn It Up.” The actual CD also features the line ‘Play it fucking loud’ and may I suggest you do so.
After those immortal words have been spoken you are launched straight away into ‘Push the Panic‘ which assaults you with a volley of frenetic drumming, crashing riffs and screams from throaty front man Sam Macon. The constant turns of pace and song arrangement are something that needs to be heard to be believed. The pace is relieved a little with ‘Light Fuse Get Away’ and ‘A kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid’ with the latter proving surprisingly sublime with melodic riffs and a happy go lucky pace letting the listener relax a little. ‘ Death of Decadence’ sees the band delve into electronica with a synthesised drum opening proceedings before the usual folly of screams and noise echo around.
‘In Threes’ is another that slows the pace down a little with haunting anthemic lyrics putting the song in a different light to the rest of the album. ‘Watch the Fall’ is similar in nature with dark undertones before a highlight of the album in ‘Its just that kinda night’ comes in and reminds you what a talented bunch of individuals the band are. ‘The Enemy’ sees Macon in full voice with moments of silence before building to customary surroundings, and shows the band at their inventive best. ‘ What’s your damage’ features a rather splendid opening and you feel is the most ‘Kerrang’ friendly of all eleven tracks. ‘Parole in Liberta’ wraps the album in typical fashion and doesn’t disappoint.
I’m struggling for superlatives to say about this album. When you find something that you have not previously experienced and find it to be genius, it tends to leave you speechless, and this album exudes things like that. Since By Man have come out of nowhere to produce one of the hardcore albums of the year so far. Find this album and buy it, it will be worth it. Oh, and play it fucking loud.
Jay