I don’t think I’ll ever be able to hail myself as the all-knowing guru of hardcore music, but I’m definitely able to pick out a good record when I hear one, and this is one of them. That Was Then, hailing from Memphis, have managed to make a record that makes your head nod, your fingers point and your adrenaline rush. ‘While I Breath I Hope’ is an exciting introduction, which builds up into a blistering array of crunching riffs and passionately shouted vocals. Using the most of my hardcore knowledge, the best way to describe TWT is a mix between The Suicide File and Comeback Kid, and ‘Treading Water’ has a real ‘Wake The Dead’ feel about it. The band really nail their breakdowns to a tee, with each one adding flair to the song, something which you don’t usually hear with this kind of music. Jerry Woe’s vocals are similar to Roger Miret from Agnostic Front, which I’m sure is a testament to most hardcore bands.
While on their own, each song is a good example of how to write hard hitting, in-your-face music, by the end of the six tracks, the formula starts to grate slightly. It’d be interesting to see how the band would fare on a full album, and whether they’d be able to keep my interest for the whole time.
That Was Then have certainly released a CD worthy of acclaim, and while not the finished article, in a couple of releases time they could easily be up their with the best in the genre.
Andrew C