Labels: Laset Effort
Review by: Tom Hughes
Easily the more attention-grabbing of the two recent releases from valiant Danish hardcore label Last Effort (the other being the rather nondescript Break), this lot bust in with a scarily well-produced metalcore blast that instantly recalls ‘Songs To Fan The Flames.’ era Refused in its super-fucking-tight, clean-heeled hardcore classicism, while adding an extra dose of metal in the vocals. In fact it’s probably the singing which most defines this record, for better or worse, especially when they occasionally break out of their ugly, scattershot HC grind to let off a great big power-metal chorus, somewhat a la Drowningman; the intro to “2:29 Sunday Diary” might also raise some eyebrows with its ultra-melodic, wistfully epic female vocal fade-in – if you were feeling mean you could say it was downright MTV, but, well, I’m not. You couldn’t say it was particularly extreme – this is in a way fairly tame stuff compared to yer Converges and Racebannons (certainly so in terms of innovation), but nevertheless, it remains satisfyingly fast, loud, harsh, heavy shit, wiv tunes and evryfink.