Review Summary: London strikes back...or again.
Abolition is back with another full-throttle release, a 7" titled Language of Violence. When a straight edge band like Abolition is releasing a record with a title that seems to obscurely reference something to the effect of Boston Beatdown, you know you are in for a run.
This 7" kicks off with a few heavy riffs, opening the record up and preparing you for the madness that is soon to escape. With time comes the vocals. I must say, I find the vocalist's "technique" pleasing to the ears. His vocals seem quite a bit harsher than what we were exposed to with their full length and 2010's In the Grasp of Tyrants (which is another top-notch 7"). This seems to add a bit more "bang" to the record, and a bit more force. His previous, lighter technique was a bit less enforceful. The guitarist, for the most part, has abandoned the brutal shredding that encompasses much of the instrumentation on past releases, in exchange for a more technical approach. The track "The Cleansing" shows off some pretty great guitar work.
I cannot simply compare this to the band's previous efforts. Alone, it delivers it's own unique grind of anti-drug, anti-establishment messages. The technical riffing that Abolition is recognizable for is still there. As previously stated, there is less metal-esque shredding, but this is not a downside. The final track, "Burnt", slows things down a bit, yet still maintaining it's power and forceful SxE message.
This record can zip by quickly, however, it is a great listen. Abolition stands out among many other bands that are generally termed "SxE", and set off a 7" full of fury without sounding like an Earth Crisis rip-off. The rather flawed quality maintains it's underground function. I simply love a record that gives off some excess static behind the fury and feedback.
Make sure to check this 7" out. If you are allergic to buying records at shows, distros, or online (like many "hardcore heads"), just check it out on the group's trusty Bandcamp. It is cool to see SxE hardcore going on in London.
