Strength Approach seems to be one of the longest running bands from Italy, I even remember that one of their tracks was featured on the classic Call For Unity compilations by Back Ta Basics. It’s good to see them still going strong! The band makes absolutely no effort to hide their influences and the whole thing speaks of NYHC sound, bringing to mind classic albums we all grew up on. While their early releases were more youth crew oriented, in recent years their style progressed towards harder sound. It combines the rawness of Agnostic Front with energy of Sick Of It All, but they put their own spin on everything so it’s cool and the tracks don’t feel forced. That’s definitely type of sound I dig and Strength Approach does a great job making sure all the pieces fit together. It’s no rocket science; strong songs, sharp delivery and tough grooves are what make this ep such a good listen. Kudos to the singer, the guy brings a lot of force with his strong and confident voice, fitting the music perfectly. The four-track ep starts with the Guilt, which is a fast burst of violence and get the job done as a solid opener. It’s followed by Carry On The Torch, which brings more melodic vibe and catchy-ass chorus that will get the whole venue singing. It’s Our Time picks up the pace with a sharp beat and guest vocals by Craig Setari of Sick Of It All. Craig singing in Italian add a nice edge to this already great song. With the last track the band pays tribute to Growing Concern, a classic Italian band. Concerning the title of this ep is Roma Hardcore State Of Mind, the cover makes perfect sense and their take on Hood Crew definitely gives the song the justice it deserves.
I like it when the band knows how to fully take advantage of the ep format and packs enough punch into just couple of songs. There’s a lot of vitality and spirit in the band’s delivery, which gives Roma Hardcore State Of Mind a great sense of purpose. They didn’t necessarily did anything super new on this one, but it’s a logic continuation of the route they’ve taken since Stand Your Ground ep and they execute it to the utmost their ability. The ep is not available yet, but pre-orders are up and running! DYW is one of the labels that take extra effort to make sure their releases are top notch, so you can be sure it’s gonna be released with attention to even the little details.
Destroy Your World, 2013