Wednesday, April 10, 2013

S.H.S. Album Review - YAITW/Withdrawal Split 7"

Sometimes when discussing music, whether it's a fan, or the musicians themselves, a lot of micro-genres are mentioned as influences or descriptors of the sound...


In the case of Charlotte, NC's Young And In The Way (YAITW),  the sounds we commonly associate with "blackened crust and hardcore" are extremely appropriate. Having been a fan roughly since the band's launch, I can confidently argue that this work is their most savage output thus far. The track "Psychopathy" opens the record with savage, raw vocals, muddled riffs. and blast beats played at breakneck speed. You won't find any hooks here, but the d-beat segments and pseudo-breakdowns provide plenty of variety to stay interesting. The misanthropic second track, "Vaticide," (meaning to kill a prophet) follows suit with a bit more of a hardcore slant. I think it's safe to say that if you are one of the many fans of bands like Nails, you would most certainly enjoy checking out YAITW.


Winnipeg's  Withdrawal often draws comparisons to holy terror hardcore... a statement I could attest when I recently saw them live, however on this recording, it seems to have the trappings more akin to modern metalcore. To me, it's most apparent with the drum beats/rhythms... perhaps I did not notice it at the live show. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad thing, per se, as the drummer is very skilled. There's a lot of very tight sixteenth-note chugging holding down each of the songs. With the energetic gang vocals and breakdowns present, a more fitting description might be NYHC metalcore. I can recommend the Withdrawal side to anyone who likes The Banner or All Out War.

YAITW side score 4.5/5
Withdrawal side score 3.5/5


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