Here's an exclusive for you! Massachusetts based hardcore band Risk recently released their album, Streetwalkers. The album dropped on June 15th and I think I'm the first person to throw a review out, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
Tracklist:-
1. Streetwalker
2. Nailed Shut
3. Thor's Hammer
4. Death Eaters
5. Interlude
6. Memories
7. Blisters
8. Land of the Slave
9. Amnesia
10. Nervous Breakdown (Black Flag Cover)
Streetwalkers kicks off with Streetwalkers, which is raging
hardcore song, full of chunky riffs. These guys know how to play short, sharp
songs that hit the mark.
Nailed Shut sounds angry and with the audible vocals, you
can sing along to it. Again the riffs are pure hardcore and the drums beat away
in the background, keeping things in check. Thor's Hammer has the essence of
metal running through it, before the punk-ridden hardcore kicks in again.
Death Eaters is a lot faster. It only last one and a half
minutes but sounds vicious. The fact that Risk don't rely on breakdowns to
hammer their point home is good, as their music is very authentic. Interlude
includes melodic guitar and clever drumming, which changes the mood of the
record and lets you catch you're breath briefly.
Memories comes immediately afterwards and seems to be a very
different song, with elements of experimentation and ringing feedback kicking things
off. About thirty seconds in though, Risk kick back into gear. Blisters follows
the mid-paced formula that Risk use for most of the record, speeding up though
towards the end, for a more brutal finish.
Land of the Slave starts with a bass guitar intro, before
being engulfed by more feedback and more raging hardcore. This time it's more
immediate too, and is one of the fastest songs on Streetwalkers.
Risk speed through Amnesia with a slightly fuzzier guitar
tone and more distortion. The production of the record certainly helps to give
them impact, being clear but with enough distortion to give them that DIY
touch.
Their last song is a cover of Nervous Breakdown, by Black
Flag of course. They present a very original take on the song, which has been covered
a lot by hardcore/punk bands in its time. It's all over as quickly as it
started and it round out what's been a great hardcore record. This review may
be pretty brief compared to some I've done recently, but that's part of the point.
Risk have written an uncomplicated hardcore record that doesn't pander to fads
or to what's popular, it just does it's own thing!
Risks come from a vibrant hardcore scene in Billerica,
Massachusetts and are beginning to pick up a following. Make sure you check out
Streetwalkers, by going to the Bandcamp link below:-
If you dig the record, you can buy digital copies from their Bandcamp page or physical copies from their BigCartel page at http://riskhc.bigcartel.com/.
You can also follow what they're up to on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/risk97h8, as well as checking out some of the bands they are repping!
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