Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Brutal Youth Bottoming Out Review

Brutal Youth
Bottoming Out
Paper + Plastick Records
Release Date: Feb 27, 2015

Brutal Youth, hailing from Toronto, commit to blistering sound of frenzied hardcore. You can hear the spirit of youth in the urgency of the strained vocals and the crunching of beaten guitar strings.  The lyrics reflect this same need for immediate examination of our surrounding society.

Bottoming Out is a five track extended play coming in under eight minutes.  The production approach is fitting; keeping it loose and raw. The record sounds like I was recorded live, as member stood on hot coals. The energy is undeniable. You can hear the obvious classics like Gorilla Biscuits, Side By Side, 7 Seconds, Minor Threat, Wide Awake as an influence, with a splash of unpolished Kid Dynamite. Brutal Youth, however, are not a clone band. Their energy is impressive. It surfaces in the guitar work and vocal patterns of the title track.

“Rancour” is a killer track with four distinguishable sections. And this occurs in two minutes. The first section holds a frenetic riff that idles as a perpetual ping pong ball in a small space.  The second section is an angry, two-step part driven by a pounding snare and a sparse guitar. The third is a chaotic, desperate breakdown with classic sound. The ending employs a sing-along of “Woah-Ohs” that lift the feeling slightly with hope before it quits.

Each track is intense and enraged. Variety in the songs’ structures pushes Bottoming Out to diverge from predictable hardcore writing. There is never an element of pop that sprouted sporadically on their full length, Stay Honest. This record is angrier and harsher. Catchy gang vocals ensure enthusiastic crowd participation at live shows, and old men like me to finger point in the car alone. Brutal Youth ravage this piece of wax. I want more. Now.


RIYL: The Damage Done, Paint It Black, Trial By Fire, Kids Like Us, Youth Attack, Losin It, Test of Time



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