Review Summary: Not totally beyond reproach, but definitely one of the best hardcore albums of last year
Realistically, a theme such as teenage nostalgia doesn’t seem a particularly likely one for a modern hardcore band to cover. Much less by a band with the hideously unironic handle ‘Your Demise’. You’d be forgiven at first glance for thinking a band with such a title would have a distinctively heavier sound, more akin to hardcore bands such as Six Ft. Ditch or TRC. Well, they used to. First full-length
Ignorance Never Dies, released in 2009 through Visible Noise was an aggressively executed, but ultimately rather standard exercise into hardcore. Don’t get me wrong, they did it well, but their style was too similar to other bands in the genre. Then, however, after a change in vocalist, style, and general direction, the UKHC outfit finally recorded
The Kids We Used To Be.
More upbeat, punchy, and generally more exciting than the debut album,
The Kids... is a fun hardcore record, crammed with fast riffing that manages to be somehow abrasive yet unashamedly cheeky (especially on the title track). Not surrendering to any of the scene motifs so unfortunately prevalent today, but rather choosing to remain in their hardcore bubble, Your Demise have successfully re-imagined a punk style that many deemed on its’ last legs. Experimenting more with choruses than they did on previous albums also boosts their marketability, not as a hardcore band, but rather as a band who are listenable enough to appeal to a wider market. Songs such as ‘Life Of Luxury’, ‘Miles Away’, and of course, the title track, do a very good job of incorporating the clean vocal sections amidst the bile-spewing antics of Ed McRae in the verses.
Don’t be mislead, the album title is only a title. This is not a concept album. Even though it’s decidedly more upbeat than previous releases, both in its’ scope of topics and its’ sound in general, the release is still crammed with angst and hate. But then again, it wouldn’t be much of a hardcore album if it wasn’t. Such elements as seen the fitting album opener (excluding the intro ‘MMX’), ‘Miles Away’ is that of the soudbite ‘*** the world!’ heard clear as a bell within the thick of McCrae’s yelping. Included for obvious reasons, it’s little touches like this that somehow endear the listener more this time around, rather than alienate them through the, frankly, rather comical scare tactics of the bands most famous song, ‘Burnt Tongues’. It is not, however, all charm and wit (so to speak). There are a variety of heavier tracks found closer to the end of the album, most specifically ‘Get The *** Out Of Little Rock’, and album highlight ‘Shine On’. The latter serves as the party song for the album, with a neat, catchy little drumbeat against the distorted guitar riffing and Ed’s vocals on top form. The song high point, however, comes at the breakdown. The violent energy is palpable as Mike Hranica (of US metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada) screams out in a sore-throat inducingly high rasp, ‘In the end, I said goodbye!’ His voice echoes as the guitars scream and the drums thud in a gloriously OTT (pit-perfect) moment. This out of character moment makes the song especially memorable, standing out as the one with the class breakdown, rather than the one that’s ‘a bit like the other one’.
It’s true, the band are deserving very much commendation for this album, which retains the best elements of previous releases and works on them (obviously, it’ll be a matter of personal taste as to which you prefer, but nonetheless....). The record, however, is not without its’ flaws. There are moments in the record when it feels somewhat garbled and superficial, with not much message being conveyed throughout. This isn’t strictly a problem, but I did find that it altered my perception of it when I discovered the only phrases I could remember from the record were ‘*** the world’, ‘so let’s bring back the best years’, and ‘one-two, *** you.’ I’m not saying this makes the music any less listenable or the work of the band members any less commendable, it’s simply because the verse vocals are, for the most part, unintelligible low pitch yells, that it’s only the choruses that stick out. This, however, leads to another issue. When the verses begin, especially in the latter stages of the record, it begins to feel like you’ve heard it all before. Not elsewhere, though, I mean on the album. The verses sound very similar, and before long, it can grow tiresome waiting for the chorus to kick in so you can join in. Or whatever it is you wish to do.
The Kids We Used To Be is a great album. Perhaps too great. It’ll be interesting to see if Your Demise can match the quality on their next release. One thing’s for certain though; the album was actually MADE to be played live. I was lucky enough to see this band for the second time this summer at the Download Festival, and songs such as ‘Life Of Luxury’ and ‘Shine On’ are such tremendously crowd friendly songs that there wasn’t one moment when I was disappointed with the live quality. The album itself, however, is not without its’ faults. But these faults can easily be overlooked in favour of the new style adopted by the UKHC boys. Sorry..... kids.
Doubtless, this is the hardcore band to watch throughout 2011.
