Review Summary: Straight Edge Hardcore played like it should be!
When someone says Straight Edge Hardcore, the glory days of bands like Minor Threat, and Gorilla Biscuits pop in to my head. However that statement is usually followed by someone talking about the newst metallic "Beat you face in if you don't believe what we do" hardcore band. So when one of my friends was rambling on about this band called Champion, and saying they reminded him of Youth of Today, Judge, and other punk influenced hardcore bands, I decided you check them out. After listening to one of their songs on Bridge Nine's website(The label that released "Promises Kept")I decided to pick this album up.
Expecting a mediocre Hardcore punk album I threw this in my Cd player. From the moment the first track began(Well when the instruments come in) I could just tell that these guys knew how hardcore was supposed sound. You can hear the raw energy, and passion in the recording, something that is rare in most modern albums. "Promises Kept" moves at a frantic pace, with every track being in between the 1 to 2 minute marker. There really is no filler here, every song seems to fit, and add to the album.
Vocal wise you have your typical hardcore punk yell, nothing new but it goes with the album wonderfully, and I found myself singing along several times. Don't expect any gutar solos, just straight up power chords, they manage to add melody at times with out taking away from the overall attitude of the track. As with most hardcore albums the bass is audible, which is one of my favorite parts of the album, it's just something about the bass that just makes you feel the emotion and aggression in the songs. Average drum parts, but there's not much to do drum wise at least on a record like this. Now onto the pros and cons.
There are several pros about this album. First, the guitars are melodic with out taking away the overall aggression of the album. Secondly, the bass is very audible. Last, the overall feel of the album, and production is just wonderful. The cons on "Promises Kept" I would have to say are the drums, just not a whole lot of variation, and the vocal delivery, they fit the album, but just not that good.
Rating: 4
