Bitter End - Guilty As Charged
Rating
RIYL
MadballCruel Hand
Biohazard
Breakdown
Release Date
08/03/2010
Label
Deathwish Inc.Tracklist
1. Corrupted Souls2. Guilty As Charged
3. The Hand That Feeds
4. Means To An End
5. Unjust
6. Suenos Muertos
7. Inborn
8. Broken
9. Victims
10. Immortalized
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What’s old is new again. After watching such trends as metallic hardcore, youth crew, posi-core, and the American Nightmare thing, not necessarily in that order, become the dominant aesthetic in hardcore, things have gone back to the early ’90s with the twin influences of crossover and NYHC now exerting themselves on an entirely new generation of bands. Already this year we’ve seen excellent releases from bands such as This Is Hell and Cruel Hand that pay a large stylistic debt to these traditions; now, Texas’ own Bitter End are poised to take the next step up from their solid debut Climate Of Fear and join the A-listers with the release of Guilty As Charged, an album that combines bared teeth ferocity and a sound with as much give as a prison wall, all with a bit of Southwestern flavor.
It becomes apparent within forty seconds of the opening track, “Corrupted Souls,” that Guilty As Charged isn’t here to win any friends; it’s got its mind set on punching a hole straight through your chest, or at the very least getting some fists flying. This means the record isn’t devoid of mosh parts—again, “Corrupted Souls” is going to make sure you know this, sounding like the kin of Trapped Under Ice and Bad Seed. The second track, “Guilty As Charged,” both keeps the NYHC beat-down coming and introduces the crossover element to the proceedings, as well as making use of a subtle reverb that gives the song a disquieting undercurrent.
“Means To An End” emerges like a mirage in the desert distance only to become all too real before fading out into the album’s best song, “Unjust.” “Suenos Muertos” is an instrumental gateway to the B-side heavy on south-of-the-border ethereal atmosphere, and “Victims” is a thrash monster that seethes with vitriolic condemnation of social iniquity. “Immortalized” emanates from the full moon-illuminated pueblos like the disembodied voice of some hardcore sage dwelling on the final days of either freedom or his life, perhaps one and the same (“I wish for one more day…”).
Deathwish Inc. continues to prove why they are at the forefront of not only hardcore, but heavy music in general, with the release of this album which is as hot as the Texas heat that spawned it. The riffs are as fat as a Biggest Loser contestant and the attitude uncompromising. Bitter End is the aural progeny of bands such as Agnostic Front, Madball, and Biohazard, and they deliver an album that not only does justice to their forebears and references their geographic surroundings, but bakes them all in a fuming pie in the oven of the 21st century. Bitter End is here to serve notice: San Antonio is a war zone and Guilty As Charged is the soundtrack.
--Jake Oliver
Comments
Los Angeles
This > Cruel Hand.
What kept this one from a 5 rating? Just curious.
Alabama
Good review. This album is amazing. I have to agree with the above comment though, I think this is way better than the new Cruel Hand.
San Diego, CA
Too old to bother, too young to give a shit.
Alabama
I agree that Lock & Key is more diverse and this album sticks more to one style but it's so good. I haven't stopped listening to it. Maybe I'll go back and pay a little more attention to Cruel Hand.
Los Angeles
Hell. The more I listen to this the better it gets.
Album is so solid.
Minnesota
I don't think I "get" hardcore or something. This seems exactly the same as about every 90s hardcore album.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Infinitely Inwards
It doesn't seem exactly the same to me......it is......There are plenty of genres like that, however. I can't get into straight edge or new york styled hardcore. I always tend to lean towards the "evergreen terrace/ the ghost inside/ stick to your guns" type of metal splashed hardcore. I always download and listen to every hardcore album that Bill and Jake say is excellent because I figure they can't be insane. It never works, though; I (mostly) never like what I hear. I would like to be able to enjoy this type of music but lyrics mean next to nothing for me and the music puts me to sleep. This is a completely subjective rant. I wouldn't dare say that all hardcore is garbage because I don't really know what I am talking about.
Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
ERRA - Impulse
Aborted - Global Flatline
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape
Minnesota
I realize a lot of genres are conventional and lack diversity, but what I am hearing in a lot of these throwback hardcore bands is a nearly blow-for-blow regurgitation of other previous bands' sounds. I feel like there's no reason to listen to bands like Bitter End when I've already been listening and loving Madball and Sick of It All for years now. They're the originals and they seem somewhat more authentic and not a blatant rip off.
Then again, I'm not a huge hardcore guy and also stray towards the metal tinged hardcore myself. *Shrug*
Find me EVERYWHERE:
