Review Summary: At least they're trying
There’s not much to say about Your Demise that hasn’t already been said before. With vocalist George Noble they released a simple yet effective hardcore punk album (2009’s
Ignorance Never Dies)- groovy and loaded with catchy breakdowns. Soon afterwards, the two parties would completely fall out and George Noble would depart from the band, to be replaced with former Centurion vocalist Ed McRae. From there, the band would tone down their sound and increase the focus on melody (for which they have no discernible talent). This would eventually culminate in last year’s unbearably insipid
The Golden Age.
The subsequent backlash was unprecedented and despite claims from Your Demise that they didn’t care about the criticism and were just writing what they wanted to,
Cold Chillin’ EP sees them at their heaviest since Ed McRae joined the band. What this EP really tells us is that when it comes down to it, it’s about the quality of the music rather than the style. Compared to their older stuff,
Cold Chillin’ is a shadow of Your Demise’s former self. The same explosive groove that burst out of songs like “Burnt Tongues” and “TF” just isn’t there like it was. Nor are those thunder-***ing breakdowns that would make you feel silly as you threw yourself about in unison with the rhythm (but helplessly so). And at times, boring chugging and melodic gang vocals manage to seep themselves back into the music. On the other hand,
Cold Chillin’ at least shows Your Demise trying to do what they
do do best, even if it isn’t as good as before. Ed McRae’s voice doesn’t have the same deep raw that George Noble’s did, but here he makes up for it with a powerful screech of his own; and the guitars belt out some catchy and energetic riffs, especially on standout track “Karma”. The remaining three songs don’t match up to the solidness and quality of the first, but they at least contain some of those enjoyable elements. On the whole,
Cold Chillin’ is a relatively pleasing, albeit unremarkable and forgettable slice of pop-tinged hardcore punk. On a more pessimistic note, it doesn’t look like those who are hoping for another album like
Ignorance Never Dies will ever see it.
