Century Media
Running Time: 33:33
I'll make a few admissions here. I don't really listen to that much hardcore music.
I don't know much about this band.
But what I do know is that you need to hear this album.
Keepers of the Faith, the fifth album from the L.A. hardcore band, hits you like a fist to throat. The production on the album is fantastic. The guitar tone is crisp, clean, and clear. The production brings the general intensity of the music to the forefront without sounding overproduced.
Another great aspect about Keepers of the Faith is it's well edited. All the songs are short and concise - long enough for the band to make a statement, but never rambling. Every song on the album is like a tightly compacted keg of dynamite.
Along the way, Terror proves they're not just another cookie cutter hardcore band. The guitars take a break during the first verse of "Shattered" to give the drums and bass a chance to shine through.
The opening track, "Your Enemies Are Mine," gets off to a quick start with its spitfire guitar riff. And listen to the drums in that song. Man! He is tearing up his kit! I wouldn't want to be his snare drum when he plays that one.
"Only Death" starts off with a sound clip, and the closing track, "Defiant" starts off with the sound cranked down for the first 10 seconds. After that the volume is cranked back up to normal and the effect is dynamic. The ripping guitar solo is "Dead Wrong" is also a tasty treat.
Vocalist Scott Vogel also manages to cover quite a bit of ground lyrically. Naturally, there are the aggressive, hard hitting lyrics in songs like "You're Caught" and "The Struggle." On "Dead Wrong," he warns about the gritty ways of the world:
"They'll cut your throat in the blink of an eye
You got to find a way to keep yourself alive
In this ugly world, there's only one truth
Hold fast to what you love and put your trust in few"
Vogel is trying to be a realist in how he looks at the world, but also attempts to express hope. He talks about the importance of brotherhood; his lyrics express the mantra of sticking together in the face of evil. Songs like "Keepers of the Faith" and "Stick Tight" do a masterful job of articulating that notion.
With Keepers of the Faith, Terror have constructed a simple but effective treatise on intense music combined with worldly lyrics, all wrapped up in airtight production. For those of you who think hardcore music is nothing but a bunch of screamo tailored for the Hot Topic crowd, think again. Terror has proven they're the real deal.
Score: 85/100
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