Terror - One With The Underdogs
Terror, along with Ringworm, is making some of the angriest hardcore out these days but their paths are starting to stray a bit. While the latest Ringworm "Justice Replaced By Revenge" is
faster and deadlier than anything they've even done, Terror has decided to shed a bit of their non-stop attack in favor of bigger breakdowns and a slower, more menacing metallic growl. That's not
to say this isn't first and foremost a hardcore record. There are still plenty of fast paced cuts here that would leave ordinary hardcore bands gasping for air but nothing that approaches the sheer
ferocity of their debut.
Instead they've managed to steer the focus of the songs into the breakdowns. While not as complex or intricately timed as a lot of the metalcore acts out today, they never the less manage to pulverize you with their simple brutality. My only gripe is they are a bit too simple, like they were purposely going for a more stripped down sound. The songs here, while punishing in their own right, are almost devoid of the double bass drums which frequented their last album. Seems like a bit of a contradiction to go in a more metallic route but ditch one of the mainstays of the genre. Personally I think a little more double bass would have made these songs even angrier but they probably drew the ire of hardcore purists on their last record so they decided to tone it down this record. Of course they probably still managed to disappoint them by busting out straight up metal riffs like the centerpiece on "Spit My Rage" which would be comfortable on any Slayer record.
On the whole this is definitely a great record but if these guys continue to go down a more breakdown heavy path they need to beef up the intensity in order to compete with the legions and legions of metalcore bands whose stock and trade is the crushing breakdown. Otherwise they'll go from a great hardcore band to a mediocre metalcore band.
Instead they've managed to steer the focus of the songs into the breakdowns. While not as complex or intricately timed as a lot of the metalcore acts out today, they never the less manage to pulverize you with their simple brutality. My only gripe is they are a bit too simple, like they were purposely going for a more stripped down sound. The songs here, while punishing in their own right, are almost devoid of the double bass drums which frequented their last album. Seems like a bit of a contradiction to go in a more metallic route but ditch one of the mainstays of the genre. Personally I think a little more double bass would have made these songs even angrier but they probably drew the ire of hardcore purists on their last record so they decided to tone it down this record. Of course they probably still managed to disappoint them by busting out straight up metal riffs like the centerpiece on "Spit My Rage" which would be comfortable on any Slayer record.
On the whole this is definitely a great record but if these guys continue to go down a more breakdown heavy path they need to beef up the intensity in order to compete with the legions and legions of metalcore bands whose stock and trade is the crushing breakdown. Otherwise they'll go from a great hardcore band to a mediocre metalcore band.
