Review Summary: A powerhouse of insane, unbound sound, Call Me Armageddon will blow your ears a little bit more than your mind.
In a world where the hardcore scene is becoming more "core" than "hard," it's sometimes difficult not to go back to the old instead of putting up with the new. Wind the clock back to 2001 and you will be greeted with the masterpiece that was and is Jane Doe. Three years later, a band formerly known as Downpour releases this album,
Call Me Armageddon. More than the album artwork is similar, the quality and intensity present in the aforementioned Converge album is showcased in this CD almost just as much. The Power & The Glory may not be the most original band of their genre, but that doesn't stop them from being amongst the better of it.
As far as the music goes, if you don't like listening to a frenzy of controlled chaos being launched in an audio assault to your ears then look elsewhere. If you do though, then
Call Me Armageddon proudly stands and delivers. Opening with the track "God and Gold," The Power & The Glory put their out-of-control songwriting on display in a great way to start the album. A raw and aggresive vocal front introduces the LP backed up by a siege of instrumental madness, which continues through the rest of the album more or less. Sister tracks "Fknthndr" and "Fknltnn" (creatively "censored") explode with energy and frantically unload a wall of sound that is familiar but good. The same intesnity cannot be said about "High Winds and Heavy Seas," which provides sort of an intermission to the madness that you've survived so far. The vocals are just as strong, but the instrumental work sits down a bit and allows you to catch your breath for the monster that is anxiously waiting next in line, "Motherf*ck John Wayne." However, the break provided by "High Winds and Heavy Seas" may be too long for some, clocking in at just over six minutes, with the next track just under two. The same cannot be said about the remainder of the album, which is longer but less outrageous.
The Power & The Glory really try a lot more than meets the eye in this album. Longer, calmer songs, alongside shorter more explosive songs create a healthy mix of hardcore without ever being painfully repetitive or ever-changing.
Call Me Armageddon dares to compare to Converge's crowning achievement Jane Doe, and although it doesn't quite make it, it comes appreciatively close. While the songwriting may not be on the same level, the delivery of it is just as solid as well as the enjoyability of it. Make no mistake, the songwriting is by no means bad, but is not an area specifically of praise to the band. Despite not being a "new" release in the hardcore genre, The Power & The Glory still manages to be release one of the best of it in the 2000s without trying too hard to be headcrackingly heavy in exchange for actual listenability. Like an unpolished diamond,
Call Me Armageddon has a shine to it that is not as bright as it could be, but is still on a diamond. A powerful and glorious release indeed.
