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
