Seven Days of Samsara - A Reason To Sing - CD (2001)

Labels: self released
Review by: Alex Deller

Picked this reissue up during Seven Days of Samsara’s brief UK stint, where they managed to smash and crash through an impressive set despite the singer’s croaky voice. Hurrah.

Bludgeoning modern hardcore is the order of the day, like a combination of the gruff melodies and large scale obliteration of Tragedy and the intricacies and inventiveness of Coalesce. Six songs in nineteen minutes, the songs flying by using everything from heavy grooves and chugs to melodic guitar parts, cleanly picked sections and time-honoured hardcore backups. Variety and distinctiveness are on display despite the songs being forged in the same mould, all manner of little tricks deployed so’s to avoid repetitition. The singer vents on personal issues and bugbears relating to the hardcore scene, touching on how things aren’t necessarily so different from the everyday culture we supposedly rail against. And all this fine music comes packaged in a jewel case with a couple of pieces of metal instead of artwork, and a scruffy yet appealing booklet like a miniature version of something you’d expect to find inside an Ebullition 7″. A heavy, challenging, DIY and ultimately rather corking release!