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Showing posts from September, 2009

Review: This is Hell - "Warbirds" [EP}

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Generally when hardcore bands begin meandering down the path towards crossover, thrash, and eventually full-blown metal, it’s because they’re running out of ideas, trying to expand their fanbase, or possibly see a little bit more cash potential in headbangers than two-steppers. But for whatever reason said unnamed bands begin blowing the winds of change, This Is Hell gets a free pass for probably not falling into those categories even while turning slightly in the direction of crossover thrash. Although the band’s preceding full-length was interesting and enjoyable enough, Warbirds looks slightly more appealing right off the bat, with song lengths hovering around the two-and-a-half-minute mark instead of the four-and-a-half minute tracks that populated Misfortunes. Furthermore, by the time the music gets going, it’s fairly evident that This Is Hell aren’t barking up too high on the thrash tree. Aside from some guitar soloing rarely seen in the band’s previous catalog, not much is diffe

Review: Intro5pect - "Record Profits"

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Back in 1999, the Faint had recently begun their transformation from a Braid-influenced post-punk band to an electronic-leaning dance-punk group, !!! had been tinkering around and releasing singles, and Big Audio Dynamite’s foray into techno-punk was over a decade in the past. But no act had successfully blended the tenacity and politics of punk rock with the programmed beats and synthesizers of electronic RPM until Intro5pect debuted on the fledgling GC Records with their Education 7-inch. After high-profile tours with the likes of Dead to Me, Citizen Fish and Leftover Crack, a full-length on A-F Records and an EP on Blacknoise with Stza Crack, Intro5pect returns to where it all started with Record Profits. The seven-song EP gets going with what is likely to be one of the catchiest non-Orgcore songs of the year, “Work to Live.” The choppy `77 guitars are layered alongside 8-bit synths, blipping and bleeping over a driving digital rhythm. “Fuck Your Flag” smacks of a poppier Anti-Flag