Say ‘melodic hardcore’ to me and my brain spins off into several different places, not all of them good. Ataque Zerø, however, land it just right as far as my tastes are concerned: a scrappy, ragged, raw sound that the accompanying write-up correctly compares to Hüsker Dü, Moving Targets and Manifesto Jukebox. Rather mystifyingly it was this latter comparison that really made me squint and take notice, since, well, who the actual fuck compares something they’re actively trying to sell to Manifesto Jukebox these days? Nuts as it seems, it’s also the comparison that rings truest: the sound is stringy yet blurred with fuzz, and the desperately-wrung guitar melodies carry a hint of Sarah Kirsch amid the flailing ‘New Day Rising’ swoop and crash. Similarly, the vocals are unafraid to soar, but there’s always something pissed off and sandpapery going on to prevent things from getting too slick or glossy. It’s a potent mix, and with just five tracks here to stick on repeat you can bet there’ll be a queue round the block when they see fit to release something new.
