About the album
Formed from the ashes of Carry On and Buried Alive,Terror are among the best hardcore bands today. The band is still really young, it was born in 2003. They are from Los Angeles, California. They play fast and angry hardcore influance by bands such as Agnostic Front and The Cro-Mags.
So they're taking a lot of influance of old-school hardcore and they add their own personal touches,double fisted vocal by their amazing singer Scott Vogal and really fast drum lines. This band have take a lot of reputation in the hardcore scene since they start playing. They have toured with bands like as Deathreat, Stretch Arm Strong and Converge.
[url]http://www.terrorhc.com/[/url]
They were also recently part of the Sound Of The Underground Tour. They are already consider one of the most repected current band in the scene.This album, Lowest Of The Low, is their first 12''. It was recorded under the labal Bridge Nine. After this album, they have recorded in 2004 One With The Underdogs, their first LP. It was under the label Trustkill, they are still on this label presently. The band is form by Scott Vogel on the vocal, Carl Schwartz playing bass, Nick Jett at drum, Frank Novinec and Doug Weber at guitar.Now let's take a look at this album.
The review
I really like how this band sound, it is agressive and powerful. It really fit with what they are singing about. You will first notice how fast and loud is the drum. Nick Jett do a great job on this album. Drum is really present on each and every tracks.Is in my opnion one of my favorite aspect of this band. Also the guitar sound really hard. Well it sound like casual hardcore guitar, it's really well done, nothing more to say about it. The bass follow the sound, it is good in my opinion. As for the vocal, it is one of the major aspect of this band.Scott Vogel is simply amazing, he yell is emotion like few hardcore singer can do. I think he is one of the best among the genre. The lyrics are straight and go directly to the point. I don't think the lyrics are bad for this, it is more casual in the hardcore scene to have lyrics written like this. They are well written and they are meaningful in my opinion. Some may not like the way they are write but I don't think it's a major negative aspect.
The first song on this album is Better Off Without You. I really like this song,it is a powerful opening by it sound but also by is lyric. They lyrics talk about people who try to impress and always pretending of being someone else. Here is an example:''
Came around with so much to prove, but no one here gives a *** about you. We're better off without you, so much better off, without you. Make your claims, it's all the same. Big mouth, no heart.''It is a furious song that truly represent the band. The second song,Don't Need Your Help, just take where the last song end. It start really fast, it has some breakdown at some point with nice guitar riff. It sound similar to the first song but with a bit less energy in my opnion. The song talk about who your true friends are and about people who only care about you to take benifit from you.
The third song, Nothing To Me, is even harder than the two first one. I think it's less good in some way. You will notice at this point that the sound is still really similar than the two first songs,maybe an aspect that some people will dislike.People who are more into the genre will not really care. So, Nothing To Me talk about a similar subject to the first song of the album.It talk about people who always try to hide who they really are.Well it's another good song in my opinion, but the two first one are way better. After, you will hear the song Keep Your Distance. It is a better song than the last one.It talk about not being like other people, to always having society against you.I think their is more effort in this song.
Then, we come to Another Face, I think this song is about depression and trying to find your way out when nobody really understand you. This song is another good one but not really impressive still really similar from the other one. But I still really like the chorus in this song. The song Push It Away is more a song about society rejection, pressure and loneliness. The song itself is really good, it show great vocal work.Here is an example of the lyrics you can find on this song.
We've got to push it away.I walk alone among my enemies. We've got to push it away. I am alone,no regrets, no shame.
You will also surely see the song Life And Death which was on their first demo album. It is another angry track that talk about giving all you have for the thing you believe in. Then come my favorite track on this album. It is What Have We Done, the song talk more into a political way than other song. It talk about how society and the world is slowly falling, that no one really care about it.This song sound more like an anthem to me. Here is a part of the lyrics I really like.
What the *** have we done, I can't believe. As humanity falls, I blame us all. The innocent is our pray, no one is safe. Where's the end, bring the end, am I dead yet. Finally, Lowest Of The Low, is the last song on this album. This song talk about using people,treating them like they were nothing and that one day it will com back to you. It really represent this album. It is a great way to end this album in a powerful way. Here is a part of the lyrics I really like about this song.
What is it like to become what you once despised? What is it like to pile lies on top of lies? Lowest of the low. So now you sink into your hell. To conlude, Lowest Of The Low is an album about being yourself, fighting for what you believe in and about society problems. The majority of songs on this album are great, among the best I would say Better Off Without You, Life And Death, What Have We Done and Lowest Of The Low.
I would say the quality production of this album is good, but not as good as on One With The Underground. Also we see that this album miss a bit of variety and creativity which is not the case of the newer album. Terror are not original, but I would say they are excellent at what they did. They really take the spirit of old school hardcore into their music. But this album have so much good aspects that you will easily good through this and enjoy it. I don't think this album is for the people who aren't really in hard and heavy music. The album is also short, it's near 15 minutes long but it's a 12'' and the price is quite low.
Conclusion
Any great fans of hardcore music should get this.Yes, One With The Underground is better, but this album is still an excellent one. It have good guitar work and bass. Excellent drum, good lyrics and awesome vocal.I think this album was a strong beginning for this band, and they show us they can do even better. As I alreay say, I would not consider getting this if you aren't fan of hardcore or hard music.In overall, this album is great and I give it
4/5.
Recommended Songs
Better Off Without You
Life And Death
What Have We Done
Lowest Of The Low
