Let’s get things straight right off the bat. I am NOT a metal nazi. Matter of fact, I like all kinds of music. However, I do not care for most hard core, a genre I lovingly refer to as the bastard son of mallcore. Why bands and labels send some of this shit to Metal Rules is beyond me. They gotta know we’re gonna slag it.
Long story short, this sampler features tracks from ten different bands. Of those ten, nine of them make the “classic” hard core style the backbone of their sound. Sure, some of them show traces of death, thrash and doom, but not enough to keep me interested. So what does it all mean? Expect a lot of shouting and some pseudo-rapping, a good dose of manufactured angst, a sprinkle of Korny sound effects/riffs and lyrics like “shove the system up your ass” and “the bitch’s body is built for porn.” If that sounds tasty to you, then by all means, go order a copy of this sampler at the record label’s website.
Now, for those of you who have been paying attention, I dismissed only nine of the ten bands. There is indeed a hidden gem on this sampler. I speak of a band called Meliah Rage and the thrashtastic song “Mind Stalk.” Classic Bay Area style thrash with dual guitars and a singer who sounds like a mix of Lemmy and 80s Hetfield. You would do yourself well to find out more about this band.
If the “score” I gave this album doesn’t sum things up, then the name of the band that finishes the collection should. The band is called Suicide Contest and, quite honestly, if nine of these bands were to enter one, there would be no losers … we’d all be winners.
