Raw, homegrown punk metal for the masses
By the time this filtered down to me, the 'press pack' mini-discography of the band's development from 2007 to the present had mysteriously gone a.w.o.l., leaving me just with latest single. Before I heard it, I bemoaned the loss of the band history. But wow, that tune packs a hell of a punch! Now I'm not so sure it wasn't whoever got the rest that got the raw deal. This is the sound of a band with growing experience and maturity, who have honed their chops playing what audiences respond to best.
The nineties metal-with-a-message model is back, big time, and looks to win any face off with the current wave of floppy-fringed pop-punk pretenders. It's not just the perseverance with their promotional material that is impressive. There's anger and vitality in the music, a sense of urgency and desperation that occasionally threatens to overpower the musicality. The fusion of genres is hard-hitting, but there's a conscious effort to keep the ideas fresh. Ok, so there's no must-hear hook to grasp on to, but it catches you by surprise and forces you to listen.
I would rather have a CD lasting 3:40 of this than any number of albums with half the energy.