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Hopesfall – Magnetic North

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Hopesfall started out as a Christian hardcore band back in 1998, with album number two in 2002 the band dropped its Christian approach however, and with its third album ‘A-Types’ in 2004 the hardcore was dropped too and the band changed its musical direction entirely. Fourth album ‘Magnetic North’ is a continuation of the bands more straight up rock approach, it could be argued that there is a fair dose of melodic hardcore in the bands sound here but never any full on hardcore. The album consists of fourteen tracks and this therefore provides for just under an hour of music, the album is of a decent length but the problem here is that for the most part the music just isn’t very good.

‘Rx Contender the Pretender’ is the first track here, after quite an atmospheric introduction to the track the band shows off with some powerful guitar work and excellent drumbeats also. The problem with the music of Hopesfall is not in the instrumental section, it’s in the bands vocal sound; vocally this album is incredibly weak and never does the vocal performance of Jay Forrest ever impress on any level here. Lead vocalist Jay Forrest sings out of tune from start to finish here, from the first track right through to the very last his voice is all over the place and really quite unbearable to listen to. Instrumentally the Hopesfall sound has much to offer, the vocal approach ruins this however and it’s therefore very hard to admire the bands instrumental work when the vocal sound is so screechingly out of tune.

Two short tracks from this album are quite impressive to listen to; one of these is entirely instrumental, and with the other the vocal performance of Jay Forrest is slightly more bearable than with the rest of the album. ‘The Canon’ is the instrumental track, a powerful one minute and three seconds of music which sees Hopesfall excel through some fantastic guitar sound and slick drumbeats also. This instrumental track truly does break the album up nicely, leading seamlessly into the next track ‘Devil’s Concubine’ which is then once more ruined by the fairly terrible vocal sound of Jay Forrest. The other short track here is that of ‘I Can Do This on an Island’, this one is one minute and seventeen seconds long and the instrumental sound is very positively put across here. It’s an acoustically executed guitar track and although not perfect; Jay Forrest’s vocal sound does here suit the track really rather well. ‘I Can Do This on an Island’ is a pleasant piece of music to listen to, not hugely hard hitting but most definitely one of the finest tracks that this album has to offer nonetheless.

Was Hopesfall to change its vocalist then the overall sound would I feel be far more effective. The only element of the bands sound which is currently lacking is that of the vocals; instrumentally the music of Hopesfall is often excellent here and this makes the vocal failings of the band all the more frustrating to listen to. The vocal sound ruins here what is otherwise an instrumentally highly competent album, remove Jay Forrest from the Hopesfall equation and this is actually a pretty good album from a hugely talented band; until a new vocalist is acquired however then the Hopesfall sound will always fail I fear.

For the instrumental sound alone this is an album that is well worth listening to, due to the poor approach of the vocals however this ‘Magnetic North’ album is left largely ruined. ‘Magnetic North’ could be an excellent album with the right vocalist, the right vocalist has definitely not here been utilised however and the bands sound therefore fails overall. The rock guitar sound is always powerful, the drumbeat kept by the band here is ever excellent, vocally however there are a lot of poorly sung out lyrical lines here and the vocal sound is all over the place as Hopesfall progress through this hour long album of music. If you can see past the terrible vocals then brilliant; there’s a lot of enjoyment to be gained from listening to this album, if you can’t overlook the bands huge vocal failing however then this is not an album that you’ll enjoy listening to in the slightest.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: May 15th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview Star

NORA – Save Yourself

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‘Save Yourself’ is the second studio album from the New Jersey hardcore punk band that is NORA. This is hardly the hardcore punk album of the century, it is however a fairly decent album of hugely hard hitting hardcore music; for most of this album nothing particularly special is offered by the band here, the music is very heavy however and always the vocals pack a powerful punch. The guitar work also is strong here, the riffs are incredibly heavy, and the music of NORA will most definitely have you fist pumping in the air.

Ten tracks are present here, 36 minutes of music are offered up by the band and for the most part the exact same hardcore punk formula is followed. NORA is not the most innovative hardcore punk band in the world, the music is pretty impressive however and something a little different is most definitely provided with one of the tracks present here. ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is a track which possesses a dirty, sludgy sound; this is something that works out well for the band and this I feel is the best track that this ‘Save Yourself’ album has to offer. The track certainly stands out as different on this album, the difference in sound provided here is strong and this track really makes you stop and listen hard. You get quite used to the bands standard hardcore punk sound here, it works well but after a while your mind does begin to drift a little; ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is a track which helps bring you back and grabs your full undivided attention with its powerful style of sound.

‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’ is the eighth track on the album, for the final two tracks the band really has you hooked and with both penultimate track ‘Chances Aren’t’ and aptly titled closing anthem ‘The Ending’ also the bands sound really does erupt here providing of a fine final few tracks of music. For seven tracks the bands sound is merely average, it all comes alive with three tracks to go however and the bands best is left well and truly until last. ‘Chances Aren’t’ is a little more melodic than the rest of this tracks present on this album, final track ‘The Ending’ does however provide one final moment of fury and leaves you well and truly wanting for more. The end of this album is its most impressive part; the whole thing has been leading to this point and with its climax the ‘Save Yourself’ album certainly does save itself.

This is quite a strange album in that it only gets going properly in its final third; what a final third it is however and with the final 13 minutes of this album the music of NORA truly is absolutely exceptional. NORA is by no means a great band, from listening to the final three tracks of this album however you may well be fooled into thinking that this band is better than it actually is. Although not exactly excellent from start to finish; ‘Save Yourself’ is an album well worth listening to for its finale alone and with the final few tracks of this album NORA is a band that sounds far greater than it actually is. It’s actually quite a shock when the final few tracks of this album begin to roll, the album is injected with new life through the sludgy sound of ‘The Moment, The Sound, The Fury’, is progressed phenomenally with the melodic grace of ‘Chances Aren’t’, and then with the last track of the album the bands delivers its final blow with the hard hitting hardcore punch of ‘The Ending’.

‘Save Yourself’ is not a great hardcore punk release, the end is excellent but for the most part this is a really rather average album. Ten tracks are present here, most of which blend together and form as one; with the final few moments of this album the band does however bring the release to an excellent end making ‘Save Yourself’ a very memorable album indeed. This is not hardcore punk at its finest, it’s certainly an interesting album to listen to however and with the final few tracks here the bands sound is always fantastic. For those that like their hardcore punk then NORA’s ‘Save Yourself’ may well be an album that shall appeal; it’s no classic of its genre but should certainly raise a smile or two. For crunching riffs, ferocious vocal shouts and some serious fist pumping action; NORA’s ‘Save Yourself’ is an album which is well worth listening to.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: July 30th 2007

Rating:
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It Dies Today – Sirens

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It Dies Today is a New York based metalcore band that was formed in the year 2001. ‘Sirens’ is the bands second studio album and was originally released in America through Trustkill Records in 2006. In 2007 the album got its official UK release and ‘Sirens’ remains unchanged as to how it was originally released in the US. The album consists of eleven tracks and this therefore provides for 39 minutes of music. ‘Sirens’ is an album which brings nothing new whatsoever to the genre of metalcore, it’s an okay album however and although nothing special; It Dies Today has certainly taken a reasonable stab at the genre here.

The album begins with ‘A Constant Reminder’, ends with ‘Turn Loose the Doves’, and throughout this album the band bounces between harshly shouted vocal growls and sweetly spoken melodic verses also. This is an extremely generic album, if you’ve listened to a lot of albums in this genre then the music may well make you yawn; if you haven’t however then this album could well be quite appealing.

If you’ve got a soft spot for such bands as Still Remains and Bullet For My Valentine then you may well love this album, the music of It Dies Today possesses an extremely similar sound and it’s hard to listen to the music without drawing comparisons to other such metalcore bands as these. The guitar riffs are hugely hard hitting, the drumbeats are highly heavy, everything is entirely contrived here however and every last scream/melodic moment has been carefully placed and generically executed.

It Dies Today is a band that has taken its sound straight from the metalcore handbook and thrown as many clichés into the music as possible. Vocally the bands sound is like a million and one other bands of this sort and instrumentally also the bands sound isn’t exactly innovative. Instrumentally the sound is okay, every track present here sounds pretty much the same however and there is little telling these eleven tracks apart. Vocally the bands sound is actually quite well put across, the performance is not hugely passionate and the band does nothing that has not done before; the melodic vocal moments are very well put across however and the bands lead vocalist Jason Wood certainly has some strong vocal talent. Sadly with the shouted vocal lines the best use is not made of Jason Wood’s voice, were the band to make more of its melodic vocal element then this I feel would vastly improve upon the overall quality of the It Dies Today sound.

‘Sirens’ is no metlacore classic, it brings nothing new to its genre and due to the factor of all eleven songs sounding pretty much the same the album is therefore fairly dull to listen to. Only a few tracks into the album and you find your mind wandering, not enough is done here by It Dies Today in order to keep you interested; the sound has been done by others many times before, and it’s been done a lot better than this too. This ‘Sirens’ album lacks excitement, if you’ve not heard much metalcore music before then you may well quite enjoy this; if you’ve heard a lot of bands in the genre however then you’ll probably not be particularly enthralled with what you find here. There are some great metalcore albums out there, sadly however ‘Sirens’ is not one of them.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: July 30th 2007

Rating:
Review StarReview Star

This Is Hell – Sundowning

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‘Sundowning’ is the début full length release from the Long Island hardcore punk band that is This Is Hell. This Is Hell is not a band trying to reinvent the wheel with its sound, this album brings nothing new to its genre, what it is however is a hard hitting album of hardcore punk and one which always packs a hefty punch. Fifteen tracks feature here and the album has a total run time of just under 31 minutes; the tracks are short, the music is greatly powerful here however and always the bands sound has much to offer.

From first track ‘Retrospect’ right through to closing classic ‘Another Facade’ this album truly is brilliant. There’s not much variation here, none in fact; the album is strong though and although every track present on this album is incredibly stylistically similar the music most definitely has much to offer. The guitar work is excellent here, the vocals are brutally shouted, and always the drumbeats are absolutely excellent.

There’s a high level of aggression presented by the band throughout this album; the sound created here is instrumentally hard hitting and vocally powerful also. The tracks build well and there’s a lot of passionate anger which can here be heard in the vocal performance. If you’re a big fan of hardcore punk then you’ll have heard this sound done a thousand times before; This Is Hell is a band that does the hardcore punk genre proud however and although the sound created here is nothing too innovative, it’s most definitely an excellent album to listen to.

The hardcore punk sound is always here extremely well put across by the band, every vocal line is ferociously shouted and for a début album ‘Sundowning’ truly is incredibly impressive. This Is Hell is not a band that is doing anything particularly new, what this band is doing however is playing incredibly dark and excellent hardcore punk with great precision and power.

‘Sundowning’ is an album that all fans of hardcore punk should own in their collection; this will never go down in history as a classic, it is however a fantastic way for This Is Hell to introduce themselves as a band with a hardcore punk album of such high calibre. If you listen to a lot of hardcore punk then ‘Sundowning’ is an album that you should most definitely own, and I suggest you make the investment sooner rather than later also as I’m sure that this is one hardcore punk album that you shall be listening to an awful lot.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
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City Sleeps – Not An Angel

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City Sleeps is an alternative rock band from Atlanta, ‘Not An Angel’ is the bands début album and was released through Trustkill Records in November 2007. The band blends rock elements with post-hardcore tinges also, the sound created here is quite bouncy and melodic; the guitar work is strong and the bands choruses always are highly infectious. Thirteen tracks are present here and this therefore provides for forty minutes of music.

Although this album is fun and there is no denying that City Sleeps is a band that possesses great talent; I have one main complaint with this album in that the sound created here has been done a million times before. There are plentiful amounts of guitar hooks, the choruses are well sung out, and every track has an absolutely excellent melody; as you listen to this album you get a severe feeling of deja vu however as the bands sound really is extremely generic. The songs all sound fairly similar, all following the same melodic rock formula and therefore providing for a supremely unspectacular overall listening experience. It’s all been done before, and it’s been done better by other artists too. City Sleeps sound like a slightly more instrumentally hard hitting American version of Busted.

‘Just Another Day’ is I feel the best track that this album has to offer, it’s a strongly constructed musical piece in all areas and the guitar work most definitely is highly impressive here. The vocals are as excellent as ever and the chorus really has quite a bite about it which really is excellent to hear. This I believe is the best track of the bunch, all of the other songs sound pretty similar but this is the best one of the lot. ‘Bones’ is another hugely hard hitting crunching rock track from this album; the drumbeats are highly powerful and at times the vocal tone taken here escalates into a generic post-hardcore scream. The music of City Sleeps is highly contrived, it’s fun to listen to but nothing at all new.

The best way to describe the music of City Sleeps would definitely be to say that the vocal sound is very similar to that of Busted, and that the instrumental element is not too different either. The instrumental side of things is a little more powerful perhaps, the vocal performance isn’t however and if anything then Busted is actually the vocally edgier of the two artists.

If you like the idea of a not so impressive American Busted then this ‘Not An Angel’ album should be one that shall appeal. This is certainly no great album, the choruses are fun enough to sing along to however and the melodious nature of the music is always quite impressive. Busted’s ‘A Present For Everyone’ is an album which possesses an extremely similar sound, if given a choice between ‘A Present For Everyone’ and City Sleeps’s ‘Not An Angel’ however then I’d pick the Busted album every time without any hesitation whatsoever.

‘Not An Angel’ is an album which is worth listening to in full at least once, it’s not fantastic but if you listen to the album from start to finish then you’ll be able to pick out your favourite tracks and then in the future be able to ignore all the others. This emo tinged rock release is no genre defining album, it is however one that is fairly entertaining to listen to from time to time.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
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Throwdown – Venom and Tears

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‘Venom and Tears’ is the 2007 album release from the straight-edge metalcore band that is Throwdown. The album consists of 13 tracks and this provides for 49 minutes of music. This is the fifth studio album from the California based band and does I feel provide for quite an interesting overall listening experience. The tracks all sound fairly similar, it’s quite a well put together album of music however and those that like a good bit of thrash metal should definitely appreciate this album from the band.

The guitar work is excellent here, the vocals also are very well put across in the bands sound and the combination play of vocals and instrumental element works incredibly well. There are some powerful guitar riffs put across in the bands sound, the drum work also is frantically paced and this therefore provides for a hugely entertaining listening experience. The music is always heavy, and with every passing track the band shows itself to be incredibly instrumentally proficient.

The fact that all the tracks sound incredibly similar here does I feel detract away from the overall quality of the album, ‘Venom and Tears’ is by no means a bad album but a little bit of variation would certainly not go amiss. From first track ‘Holy Roller’ right through to penultimate anthem ‘Godspeed’ there is really no telling the tracks apart, all the tracks seem to blend together as one as you listen to this album and this is a definite area of improvement for the band to focus on.

The final track on this album is actually a cover of the Sepultura track ‘Propaganda’, this therefore provides for a little bit of variation on the album; not much however. Throwdown very much make this track their own, you can tell it’s a cover in that it sounds a little different from the rest of the album; Throwdown have certainly put their own individual spin on this track though and it therefore comes across extremely well as the closing track of this ‘Venom and Tears’ album. The powerful guitars are present as ever and the vocals also are incredibly well shouted out by the band here, there are some super drum fills and this ‘Propaganda’ closing track certainly provides this album with a fine finale.

‘Venom and Tears’ is certainly not the best album to have been released in the genre of thrash metal, it’s not even the best album that Throwdown has ever released actually; it’s worth a listen though, particularly if thrash metal is your favourite style of sound. The bands roots are very much in the hardcore scene, over the years a more metal direction has been taken by the band however and here the music of Throwdown is even more metal than ever. The album possesses elements of metalcore, for the most part however its a pure blend of thrash and groove metal which is well done by the band albeit fairly unspectacularly. The tracks all sound incredibly similar here, this therefore holds back the overall quality of the album; if you can get over the fact that all the tracks sound pretty much the same though then plenty of enjoyment can be gained from listening to this ‘Venom and Tears’ album from Throwdown.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: September 10th 2007

Rating:
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Sick City – Nightlife

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Sick City is a Canadian five-piece band making music in the genre of melodic hardcore. The bands drummer is the brother of Comeback Kid front man Andrew Neufeld; clearly the Neufeld family is incredibly musical as both Sick City and Comeback Kid also are absolutely excellent bands. The music created with this ‘Nightlife’ album always is fresh and uplifting; the vocals are simply magnificent and the instrumental side of things also is supremely strong here. The tracks are well constructed, the music is mightily melodious and never does the sound created here by Sick City fail to make me smile.

This is a band with a keen ear for a good melody, right from the offset with opening track ‘Antoinette’ the melodic nature of music hits you and never do the tracks fail to come complete with an absolutely exceptional chorus. Contained within this album is a grand total of thirteen tracks, all of them are fantastic to sing along to and as you listen to ‘Nightlife’ you can’t help but do so. The music possesses a greatly beauteous quality; the guitars and vocals are most impressively constructed in the sound and the drumbeats also are incredibly well worked and powerfully put across.

As the band progresses its way through this album the music never fails to impress, every track here is incredibly well written and the lyrical content of the tracks always is strong. Tracks such as ‘Killing Ourselves to Feel’ and ‘Moving, Not Moving Forward’ do I feel show the bands music at its very best; the music reminds me a little of Armor For Sleep, the music of Sick City packs more of a punch than that of Armor For Sleep but certainly there are some similarities. It’s melodic hardcore and the vocals are extremely softly spoken, the guitar work is greatly powerful however and the cracking guitar riffs do I feel add energy and excitement to the album. Some melodic hardcore bands can be a little too gentle in instrumental approach, this is certainly not the case with Sick City however and always with this album the band is forthcoming in putting forward its hard hitting instrumental sound.

Fans of Paramore will appreciate ‘City Lights’ from this album I feel, throughout the track a second vocal tone can be heard on numerous occasions provided by Karly Simon and the secondary vocals here sound incredibly similar to those of Paramore’s Hayley Williams. ‘City Lights’ is another of the finest tracks from this album, the melodious nature of the music is here highly impressive and the chorus to this one is I feel the best that this ‘Nightlife’ album has to offer. Every track on this album has a brilliant chorus, somehow here the band manages to provide one that is better than ever however and this track therefore stands out strongly on this album.

If you like a good bit of melodic hardcore then you’ll love this ‘Nightlife’ album from Sick City; it’s one of the best albums of its genre I’ve heard in a long while and the album is I feel absolutely flawless. I fail to see how the band could possibly improve upon this release; it will certainly be a test of character in attempting to do so. I’d definitely recommend this album to all, the music is truly beautiful and regardless of your personal musical preference you’ll surely find plenty of enjoyment and delight in this ‘Nightlife’ album. The guitar work is powerful, the vocals are beautiful, and the drumbeats also are hugely hard hitting; in every area this album is excellent and never does the music disappoint here in the slightest. Sick City is most definitely a band to watch out for in the future, the bands music truly is incredible and in the next few years I can see Sick City becoming the new favourite band of many.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: November 19th 2007

Rating:
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StoneRider – Three Legs of Trouble

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‘Three Legs of Trouble’ is a fiery display of rock n’ roll from the hard rock band that is StoneRider. The band hails from the American state of Georgia and this is the first album recorded and released under the name of StoneRider, before this however the four members that make up this band had previously been in a band together under the name of Fight Paris. Ten tracks are on display here, all of which are extremely hard hitting and never is there a dull moment with the music of StoneRider. This is certainly a band with a great talent for producing powerful rock music; this is something that soon becomes highly apparent with this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album as right from the offset the music is absolutely packed full of energy and excitement.

‘Rush Hour, Baby’ begins this release and immediately the music here makes an impact. From the opening guitar riff you can tell that this album is going to be something really rather special and as it all unfolds you’re certainly not left at all disappointed. The vocals come firing through here, the drum beats pound proudly, and the bass lines also sound extremely succulent. The sound that is created here is that of exciting rock music. The guitars are the most prominent feature in the music of StoneRider here and it is the guitar riffs that are the most impressive element of the bands sound throughout this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album. The guitar riffs that the band put forward with opening track ‘Rush Hour, Baby’ truly are phenomenal, throughout this album never does the musical edginess stop coming full throttle and always the sound created on this album is incredibly hard hitting.

For those that love their rock music, ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ should be regarded as essential listening. Tracks such as ‘Hair of the Dog’ and ‘Wild Child’ are particularly impressive here I feel. ‘Wild Child’ is a particularly strong rock track to listen to; the southern drawl of the bands front man Matt Tanner comes across perfectly here. With this track the sound put forward by the band is a cross between hard rock and southern rock, the music works magnificently and the sound created here truly is epic. It is the guitar riffs that make the music so powerful here, but also the vocal tone that makes this one stand out so much. Every element of the music just seems to fit together; ‘Wild Child’ is a finely structured track with an incredible chorus to boot.

‘Hair of the Dog’ begins with an incredible drum beat and it is this that makes this track stand out so much for me. The band makes an instant impact with this one through the powerful use of the drum kit, the guitars soon follow and once more the vocals are incredibly effective. With this track it almost sounds as though the guitar licks are put forward in reply to the lyrics of Matt Tanner. The vocalist sings a line and then the guitar returns a musical reply straight after, it’s an extremely interesting track and the guitars do in fact speak greater volumes than the vocals do here. Often the vocals are removed from the sound entirely here, the music is left to do all the talking and a fine job the instrumental element of the music does of it all too. The talent of StoneRider is put across superbly with this track I feel, all four of the bands members possess a great musical ability and the ten tracks of this album there are always incredibly well put together and an absolute joy to listen to.

‘Shut My Mouth’ ends this album well, the music is as electric as ever and the lively nature of the bands sound is perfectly put across here in order to bless this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album with one final moment of glory. The chorus is excellent, a brilliant track to sing along to and one that closes this album in incredible style. Such excellence is attained with the sound of the guitars here, perhaps more so than ever the guitar riffs are a central element to the music with this final track and as ever the musical construction of this track certainly does not disappoint. The track clocks in at four and a half minutes in length; the band does plenty throughout the run time of this track in order to hold your interest wholly and never allow for your interest to wander. As you listen to ‘Shut My Mouth’ always you feel entirely entertained, the strength of this track is great and everything about the music does plenty to impress here.

For those that appreciate the music of such artists as AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Wolfmother also I would most definitely recommend giving this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album a listen. For all fans of music in fact I would advise giving this album a listen, the choruses are always excellent and the talent with which this band puts across the guitar sound in the music truly is phenomenal. There is plenty to take from this debut album from StoneRider, this band is clearly in possession of an abundance of talent and this is something that is always shown throughout the ten tracks of this album. There are a total of forty minutes of music present on this album spread over the ten tracks, never does the music of StoneRider disappoint here and always in fact the sound that the band presents here is absolutely brilliant. StoneRider is a terrifically talented band, this is something that is most definitely shown on this ‘Three Legs of Trouble’ album and I therefore have nothing but love for this release.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: 28th January 2008

Rating:
Review StarReview StarReview StarReview Star

Too Pure To Die – Confidence and Consequence

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Too Pure To Die is a hardcore band from the American state of Iowa. ‘Confidence and Consequence’ is the bands début album which originally surfaced in late 2006. Since then the band has changed its singer however and when Trustkill Records got hold of the album it was their opinion that the album just had to be re-released complete with new singer Paul on vocal duties. So ‘Confidence and Consequence’ is back complete with a new mix, new mastering, and a brand new bonus track also in the form of ‘What’s Left’. It was an excellent decision to re-release this album I feel and in doing so more people will surely hear this exceptional début album that is ‘Confidence and Consequence’.

Title track ‘Confidence and Consequence’ kicks it all off and none of the tracks on display here are in the slightest bit disappointing. The music is highly energetic, the vocals are brutally shouted, and the guitar riffs boom through with great vigour. Throughout the ten tracks of this album not once does this band disappoint and always in fact the music is absolutely excellent. The guitars possess such great power, the vocals are spot on, and every element of the music just seems to come together perfectly here. Hardcore bands often fall into the trap of sounding all too generic, this is certainly not the case with Too Pure To Die however and always on this album there is a great energy running through it all, a fantastic passion shown on behalf of the band which provides for an excellent listening experience.

All of the tracks on this album sit comfortably around the three minute mark, the vocals always come bellowing powerfully through and always it is the guitars that make the music so brilliant. Two guitarists are present in this band, each of them excellent and always contributing magnificently to the brilliance of Too Pure To Die. The guitars and vocals are always at the forefront of the bands sound, the drums take a bit of a back seat and are nowhere near as important in creating the epic sound of this band. Occasionally the drum beats can be heard protruding through and when they do the sound that can be heard it brilliant, there can be no denying the excellence of this bands drummer but in truth it is most certainly the vocals and guitars that are here most stunning.

The album clocks in at a grand total of half an hour in length, brand new bonus song ‘What’s Left’ is the track that is given the honour of bringing the album to its close. The sound that is here created is actually quite different to that of the rest of the album, there’s a change in vocal approach here and the vocals become much more of a growl. Throughout this album the music is extremely heavy but here the band takes the brutality up a notch and the intensity of it all becomes even greater. Cymbals are integrated into the sound more freely here and the drums therefore become more noticeable and vital to the music. It comes as quite a shock to the system this one, for all of the album we have been used to hearing a similar sound and here this all changes for one final moment of extreme aggression. It works well I feel and signifies supremely the intended future direction of this band now that a new vocalist has been integrated into the line-up. There is no doubt in my mind that with all further albums from Too Pure To Die, the vocals will possess much more of a growl about them.

‘Confidence and Consequence’ is an excellent album from Too Pure To Die, a brilliant début offering which has here been supremely remastered. For all fans of hardcore and metal I’d definitely recommend the music of Too Pure To Die, there’s a great energy about the music and something about the sound that this band produces which makes it all excellent to hear. Not one of these ten tracks disappoints, the final track on the album provides an interesting change and always the music enthrals. This album is a big and bold offering of hardcore, the guitar riffs provide a menacing metal presence and never does this band show and signs of slowing down throughout the albums half hour duration. The music is fast and fun, it will not appeal to all but it will certainly appeal to many; it’s heavy enough to please hardened fans of the genre, but also approachable enough to appeal to casual listeners of hardcore and metal alike.

Label: Trustkill Records
Release Date: 28th January 2008

Rating:
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