American Standards is a very cool
hardcore band who are just starting to get huge. Their EP Still Life
is a testament to the punk ethos and the power of a few simple riffs.
With a dominating and powerful sound punks will be enamored by the
aggression and lyrical depth found on this EP. Much more in the punk
vein than many modern hardcore bands this record should still appeal
to metalheads. There are quite a few cool (if simple riffs) and the
overall heaviness is something that all fans of extreme music can
relate too.
The guitar work on this record is very
straightforward. Raw riffs abound and are filled with a manic, almost
grindcore-like energy. The bass playing is very heavy and really
punctuates a lot of the riffs. It brings the sound down to a whole
new level and shines on the slower parts. In particular the bass on
Bottom Feeder shows how solid his playing is. The drumming is loud
and barely manages to keep the band together. This helps to emphasize
the manic energy and punk attitude of the band. If the drumming was
precise it would not be as special. Finally, the vocals on this
record are ferocious. Screamed and shrieked the anger that is
possessed by this bands frontman is formidable. The lyrics are very
interesting and criticize modern society. One particularly good
couplet is from the song Paradigm-Alt-Shift-Delete “I keep trying
to keep my head above the water/but its getting harder every day”.
In conclusion, this is a truly stellar
effort for one of the future greats of hardcore. Intent on forcibly
injecting more punk into a hardcore scene gone metal this should be a
treat for many a skinhead. The moshers will find this album to be
sufficiently energetic to give them something to crack skulls to and
the philosophers will find more than a few ideas to talk about. All
in all this is a very solid EP that shows off some very skilled young
musicians on the verge of making a breakthrough. Go check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanStandards?ref=ts&fref=ts
No comments:
Post a Comment