Will To Die - Mass Grave 7"

When I first got this seven-inch and put it on, to my ears it was the embodiment of what hardcore should sound like. Now, I appreciate that hardcore has many different strains and encompasses many different sub-genres within it, but I'm talking about hardcore in the true sense. whether it be straightedge, youth-crew or just straight-up hardcore, Will To Die struck a chord.

Anyway, Mass Grave was released in 2012 via Speedowax and features six tracks. It was limited to two hundred and forty copies. One hundred on yellow vinyl and one hundred on black vinyl, with various amounts featuring different colour sleeves.. Will To Die are another top US band from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Tracklist:-

1. Mass Grave
2. Disloyal
3. Embers
4. Iron Fist
5. Desperation
6. Pain And Suffering

I know mosh-heavy hardcore is more prevalent nowadays, which has diluted it a lot, but there are still some quality bands around. Will To Die are an example of such bands. Starting with the title-track, they play simple yet crushing riffs and the tough-guy vocals are spat out with true emotion, instead of sound like crap rapping. Will To Die prefer a mid-paced tempo for the most part but also groove really well. Disloyal sums this up perfectly. 

Embers sees them pick up that pace a bit and full-on rage, with some thrash-swagger thrown in for good measure. The energy that was infused into Embers on the A-side, is carried over onto the B-side with Iron Fist. The riffs take centre stage again and the drums pound as hard. Mass Grave feels very uplifting and positive in-spite of the intensity it conveys. It’s definitely hardcore for those who have become jaded with the likes of Hatebreed.

The simplicity of the song-structures are clear during Desperation, which highlights Will To Die’s less is more approach. If there’s a band I want to see live before I die, it would be these guys. By the time the seven-inch closes with the catchiness of Pain And Suffering, you’ll be as hooked as I am on Will To Die. This band and this seven-inch have inspired me to dig deeper and find more kick-ass US hardcore bands and believe me, along with Bad Habits, Machinist and Kato that I featured in my previous reviews, this is only the tip of the Iceberg.

Mass Grave isn't streaming online, but Will To Die are streaming this record's opening three tracks on their Bandcamp page:-



You can buy Mass Grave on sweet vinyl from Speedowax here - http://www.constantrotation.bigcartel.com/product/will-to-die-mass-grave

Will To Die Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/will2die
Speedowax Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/speedowax