Reviews

Dismantled

Ancient Rage Ancient Räge LP

Punk-adjacent heavy metal that barely even qualifies as the former. This is a straight-up NWOBHM tribute with a vocalist who sounds more like Damian Abraham than Rob Halford, giving it an ANTI-SEEN feel. There are quite a few riffs that sound identical to those heard from JUDAS PRIEST or SODOM, almost to the point where I wonder if they are indeed the same licks. Regardless, this is some really catchy shit here. Even if the guitarist is aping all the old fogies, they’re playing the living hell out of their instrument. The aforementioned vocalist has the energy of a pissed-off troll, and if it weren’t for them, I don’t think this album would fare as well. I’d recommend this for all the fellow closeted metalheads out there in punk world.

Crimetime …Let There Be Crime LP

First let me address the album cover. Band name, album title, and a drawing of the Hamburglar with boots and a baseball hat with a flipped-up bill. Simple, eye-catching, and most importantly, it really gives the listener no clue as to what this band is all about, which I actually prefer when going into hardcore records. Now, let’s talk about the record itself. Hardcore punk, fast and angry. Overall, pretty good. Some of the songs may be a bit too long for my liking when it comes to bands like this, but that’s personal preference. I think with a bit of spit and polish recording-wise, this could have been a pretty good-sounding record. Parts of it just don’t sound as good as they could, but all in all, a pretty decent outing. Even the last song with the ska parts didn’t bother me.

Dead 77 Demons LP

The first full-length from Los Angeles’ DEAD 77. Upon first glance, I fully expected this to be a street punk album, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was more akin to the early A-F Records bands such as THOUGHT RIOT and the CODE. Gang vocals galore here, which act as a call and response to the raw, melodic lead vox. There’s a delicate balance to be had between both, and DEAD 77 does a good job of not overlapping them. It creates a strong energy that is unwavering throughout the entire record. This is also helped by the guitars, which are layered into a wall of sound, peppered with fiery leads throughout. Well worth a listen if you’re a fan of late ’90s melodic hardcore.

B-Side / Holehog To Have and to Hold split LP

Sacramento’s HOLEHOG and Boston’s B-SIDE (GLOBAL THREAT’s Bryan Lothian) have released a white-hot split LP, each playing their own take on UK82 street punk akin to CLIT 45, the VIRUS, and of course GLOBAL THREAT. Both bands really rip; HOLEHOG are a well-oiled machine with crystal clear production, razor-sharp riffs, and an angry and scornful message: the system blows. Check out “By the Throat,” a D-beat-driven blast of energy with a great breakdown and vocals that had to have left a sore throat. Meanwhile, B-SIDE takes a fuzzier and more raw approach, with songs about the trials of living in American society, from our relentless bombing of other nations and our inability to think in terms beyond black and white. On “Waiting To Talk,” Lothian enlists an unhinged guitar lead and demented vocals to great effect; it gives the song a paranoid and eerie vibe that fits the anti-colonialism message well. Overall, a very solid showing from both bands, but I really have to hand it to HOLEHOG here. Their sound is so dialed-in and so clean, it’s a great take on the style and I’ll be looking forward to hearing more.

Impact Driver The Hustle and Muscle LP

This album was tough to make it through. Oi! is a genre that has to be well-executed to resonate with me. When it hits, it can be powerful, vital even. Bad Oi! can be downright terrible, not to mention the sketchy, hate-driven garbage. I appreciate the fact that IMPACT DRIVER makes their anti-racist stance very clear, but when they sing about watching the country that they “love” go up in flames, they’ve lost me. Nationalism is lame. The music is oddly repellant, too. The playing is sloppy and the singer tries to cram way too many words into the verses. Something about the production is off as well. I can’t tell if it’s mixed poorly or what, but the vocals are absurdly loud and the snare drum is barely audible. Maybe there is something here for diehard Oi! aficionados, but I cannot abide.