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Sworn Enemy - The Beginning of The End

Sworn Against, hailing from New York, USA, peddle a brutal, heavy brand of Metal-infused hardcore which has seen them pick up a number of prestigious support slots in the last few years, most notably with American metal merchants God Forbid. New York boasts a vibrant underground hardcore scene, and has something of a habit of churning out quality bands - are Sworn Against the latest one?

Album opener 'Forgotten' gets the LP off to a screaming start, quite literally, with vocalist Sal LoCoco howling over an express-train of a guitar riff and a pounding drum beat. Powerful, heavy, punchy and complete with a high-flying, technically impressive guitar-solo, 'Forgotten' is a formidable hardcore track and an exciting prospect.

"Ok, so now on to track two, then," I said to myself, pressing 'next track' on my CD player and listening intently. Inexplicably, it seemed as though the same song had come on again. "But hold on, by CD player must be on 'repeat'?" I mused, checking my CD player's settings. It wasn't on 'repeat'. I was actually listening to track two 'Scared Of The Unknown', although I never would have guessed. Quickly, 'The Beginning Of The End' had me asking questions like, "haven't I heard this riff before?" or, "is he playing that drum beat again?" As the album progresses, the term 'homogenous' became increasingly and disappointingly appropriate. Great hardcore bands record albums that throw up a new prospect with each song. Not so great hardcore bands produce albums which rapidly descend from viciously delivered brilliance into a headache.

According to the band's press release, 'The Beginning Of The End' is like "a battering ram of destruction" which "pulverises even the most calloused listener" (this kind of sentiment has always seemed odd to me - why would anyone what to be 'pulverised' by a "battering ram of destruction"? That doesn't sound like fun at all, does it?). However, on 'The Beginning Of The End' Sworn Against's battering ram is merely tapping of the door of good hardcore. Brutal and loud, yes. And great mosh-pit fodder, I'm sure. But really good music? Sadly, no.