Strung out clouds of distortion permeate the record and give it a filthy, Hellhammeresque, quality that I’ve yet to hear from the world of punk. From the violent phlegm filled coughs and industrial churning of the intro, listeners are given fair warning to the no frills and ugly sound of Hoax.
Not only are the guitars messy and scratchy, they’re also a devastating half of an equation that’s fleshed out in a thick and burly bass that gives the perfect low end to match. The guitars sizzle and snap through 12 tracks of grizzled hardcore that tends to sit in a trot and give way to thudding drums, raspy vocals, and of course the aforementioned guitars.
What carries the record isn’t simply a matter of production, but the charm it shares with the knuckle duster songwriting and the complete adoration of punk and metal’s shared lineage. “Drive” pounds along, with a very 90’s mosh section until it ends in a slow motion Celtic Frost-like stomp.
While I like the Bolt Thrower like swagger of Hoax, I think the LP could benefit from some more frantic d-beats and similar surges in speed. The band gets a bit too comfortable at slower tempos to hit that noisy ferocity that they flash here and there.
A strong effort from this Massachusetts group as it’s ideal for those who like their hardcore dirty, unapologetic, and full of gut punches.
The LP’s beautiful to boot Buy it here.
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