MERAUDER

From Brooklyn? Check! Toured with Biohazard? Check! Singer sound like John Joseph? Sometimes (when he's not growling like a fucking nutter). Yup, this is New York Hardcore folks. Still, at times, they also sound like Bolt Thrower in their chuggier moments. I shit you not. And that's just the first song. There are so many other elements added to the NYHC Cake here, that it's quite hard to really focus on any of it; Grind, Death Metal, Punk, Stoner, and Thrash all get an airing somewhere in the mix. So, it's testament to the band that this isn't a right frigging mess. It does get repetitive though. With Hardcore as it’s, ahem, core it's limited to a reasonably strict verse, chorus, breakdown formula. It works well of course, but limits what a band with so many stylistic draws should be able to do. The production is suitable for this style of music; that is brick-walled and crusty. Any amount of polish would have killed this off. Only 'Ahora' seems to escape the hardcore bible, with its foreboding theme sailing close to Doom territory. Don't get me wrong though, I could happily play any of these songs at volume and know that it would get me grinning like a twat. Just don't ask me to listen to the whole shebang in one sitting.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Regain Records

Album

GOD IS I

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

46:57

RELEASE DATE:

22nd June 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) Until
2) Ratcatcher
3) Built On Blood
4) Gangsta
5) Forgotten Children
6) God Is I
7) Perdona Me
8) Hell Captive
9) Intro
10) Ahora
11) Never Surrender
12) See You In Hell

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

USA

"There are so many other elements added to the NYHC Cake here, that it's quite hard to really focus on any of it; Grind, Death Metal, Punk, Stoner, and Thrash all get an airing somewhere in the mix. So, it's testament to the band that this isn't a right frigging mess."