SPEED : "Only One Mode'

These guys have captured the feel of NYCHC pretty well. They pack the metallic punch of hard-core while staying true to the thrashing of the late 80s. The riffs and the overall sound left me pretty impressed on the first song, but the question becomes, can they keep me impressed for the entirety of the album, They do keep the momentum on the second song, but it's not far removed from what they did on the first song though it is still working really well here.  "No Love But For Our Own' hits with street smarts and thrashing aggression, but the chorus is still hooky enough without trying to be Turnstille. 

They keep the hunger for riffs fed on "Only Foes", but things are not as refined on "The First Test" which does carry a bit of a Cro-mags influence to it, but does not feel quite as catchy as the previous songs.  'Send Them 2 Sydney" is more punk paced, though they continue to show a willingness to fuck around with the sounds and experiment a bit to set them apart from the average hardcore band. When they pour on the faster tempos they tend to sound more like everyone else rather than play to their strengths of grooving riffs. The sung vocals as an accent work well. 

"I Mean It" almost feels more like Biohazard thanks to the more rapped vocal. The breakdown riff on this song is pretty fucking killer.  'Caught in a Craze" closes the album when a more old-school cross-over feel. Overall they found a great balance of hooky metal riffs, breakdowns, and being true to old-school hard-core while trying new things in their homage to it. They took chances with this formula that paid off, I will give this album a 9.5, if you like hard-core you would be missing out if you do not give these guys a shot. 

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pst404