x Represent x / The Pledge / x The War x - split EP

This short EP comes with more than its fair of sharp moments and a lot to enjoy if you like your hardcore served raw and heavy. Every band here is relentless and tight as they just pound their way through their songs.
Right from the first band it is plain to see that the album will be an engaging ride. I’ve already known xRepresentx so I knew what to expect. The band doesn’t disappoint this time with their fast and right in your face hardcore. The straight edge message is pretty clear and they don’t beat around the bush with their drug free ethics. The Pledge is the only band here I haven’t been familiar with. Their style is more traditional old school and there are more emotions in what they do compared to the rest of the pack. Although both of their songs don’t go over about 90 seconds mark, there are some good ideas going on here with nice use of gang vocals, danceable beats , slick melodies and catchy choruses. Next comes the Aussie most wanted - xThe Warx. Their songs definitely got more beefy production and sound the heaviest here. Since time is limited the band wastes no time and from the first notes dives into the moshpit extravaganza. The riffs are heavy, the rhythm section beats even heavier and the vocals downright hostile. This is the band that got a lot of potential and I hope they will get the recognition they deserve.

The key word here is straight edge. I know some might say these bands are little heavy-handed or judgmental and I can agree that preachiness in hardcore can sometimes be off-putting, but in my opinion they manage to find a right balance. Every band here sounds aggressive without being boring and honest without being pretentious. The result is EP of very honest and thrilling hardcore that busts ahead and takes your attention along with it.

PS. Apart from Pledge all of these bands have released new albums in recent time so don’t forget to check them out.

Author: Dloogi

Label:Seventh Dagger

Year: 2009