Abstain Infirm of Purpose 12″
In a day and age where heavy/heavier hardcore is dominated by BULLDOZE wannabes, this edge powerhouse really stands out against the grain. While the band is ultimately indebted to heavy edge bands of the ’90s (think Belgian H8000 bands such as CONGRESS’ first 7” and LENGTH OF TIME), what it lacks in technical, prolonged solos is made up for here with a stronger element of UNBROKEN, Satisfaction-era HATEBREED, and even New Jersey’s RESSURECTION (to an extent). By no means is this some tragic ode to desiring to be a part of a different time, as the band take influence from newer bands, with the vocal style sounding somewhat similar to New England’s BROKEN VOW. For me, a particular highlight came with the opening of the second song, “Faced With A Choice,” which is nothing other than brilliant. They show a lot of promise here, so here’s hoping for a stellar LP someday.