Review: Symbol Six - "Monsters 11"
Symbol Six is a perfect paradigm of the universal truth that past successes are not necessarily indicative of future outcomes. After rising from the rubble of hardcore legends the Necros, Der Stab and Gaudy Trash in 1980, Symbol Six made waves in the rapidly changing Los Angeles hardcore scene with the release of their self-titled EP on Posh Boy in 1982. The gritty blend of punk and hardcore featured such gems as “Taxation” and “Beverlywood” that raged like the Adolescents with the musical sensibilities of Social Distortion and eventually found airplay on Rodney on the ROQ. The songs were incisive and relevant, especially for a band whose members boasted an average age of 15. Fast-forward nearly 30 years to the release of the band’s second proper offering, 2010’s Monsters 11, and something is noticeably lacking. The battering assault and driving rhythms have softened under the gloss of modern production practices. Where once was a group of kids playing overachieving hardcore punk is no...