Since The Flood
No Compromise

September 2007
Released: 2007, Metal Blade
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Chaosankh

The band photo at the center of these liner notes tells you all you need to know about the sophomore release from Since The Flood - - eyes staring fiercely, looking ready for a fight, sporting t-shirts from Crowbar, Entombed, and Black Flag. Yup. These guys are angry and they’re not going to stand for it anymore. With a punk attitude, NO COMPROMISE, blasts through your speakers with typical hardcore/metal ala the bands on their shirts. Unfortunately, like a lot of punk (the genre, not the attitude) these guys suffer from a lack of creativity and imagination.



The biggest problem with this album is that the songs fail to establish unique identities. Although, they contain the necessary fist-pumping attitude, these short bursts of energy tend to run into each other without leaving a mark. Certainly, the lyrical content that features such brilliant gems as “Power, it’s mine/you’ll learn in time/justice for them/move fast/ I am revenge” from the aptly titled “I Am Revenge,” or “”Here’s how it will be/one look inside these eyes and you can see what can’t be stopped” from the title cut will empower their target demographic, i.e. the recently tattooed teenage boy hanging out in Hot Topic on weekends. However, everything contained within has a dime-a-dozen taint to it.



It’s not all bad, though; these guys do a fine job of delivering their material in a well-produced package. The guitars sound deep, the drums are sharp, and the screamy vocals are powerfully delivered. They’ve got the right attitude and the right influences, and at times good things happen, like on the most notable cut, “Strength,” where they actually allow the song to have a solid enough hook that it stays with the listener. With a little luck, their increased exposure from being a part of Metal Blade now will give them the chance to grow as a band and, hopefully, next time around they will offer something a little more original and lasting.