True Valiance: 'Expect Resistance'

True Valiance - Expect Resistance

Respect Resistance is the brand new full length from Bristol’s most hardworking and hard hitting hardcore band True Valiance. This album is fast paced and fresh with eleven tracks that will get you moving all day long, with heavy pounding drum beats, thrashing, chugging guitar riffs and passionate fiery vocals. This full length takes all topics from themes including revenge, resistance and bringing justice in this corrupt world. There aren’t as many breakdowns as Hooked on Revenge but the slight change in sound compliments their style resulting in a fantastic album. There is a nice old school mid-90s sound to some of the songs and a much more metallic edge with thrashier riffs but True Valiance’s ethics still remain the same. From the first listen I take my hat off to one of Rucktion Record’s finest releases.

Pushing play on this record unleashes a fury of ‘in your face’ thrashing guitar riffs which sounds very Slayer-esque and shows a more metallic style and edge to True Valiance’s music. When the vocals kick in with the shrill, screaming sound all of the attitude and anger is present and is perfect for their heavy sound. Bloodlust is such a catchy track creating an unmistakeable sound and leaves you banging your head through the whole track. There is just something fresh and different about True Valiance and I really enjoy the energy and passion that has been put into their tunes. The following track Blindfold brings to mind a very UK hardcore sound with some dark down tuned guitar rhythms and heavy pounding drum beats. There is also a down-tempo breakdown part towards the end of this song which is so heavy and fits with the present themes. Although tracks such as Burn and No Mercy have a very aggressive sound both vocally and instrumentally, there is an underlying positivity which is shown through an inspirational attitude. 

The ferocity of the tracks Arkansas and To an End gives me a slight late 80s early 90s trash feel to it mixed up with elements of Terror and some typical hard hitting Rucktion style hardcore. Towards the middle of Arkansas there is a breakdown part which is thunderously heavy with stomping riffs and blasting drums. To an End contains a really shrieking, technical solo which is unsuspected but sounds amazing. This is all structured together perfectly with the emotional lyrics who’s voice jumps between screaming and shouting parts and into a deeper growling sound. There are also smaller parts which contain spoken words very similar to mid-90’s metalcore such as in the track Expect Resistance. 

This record is packed full of everything you need in a heavy hardcore album including tight instrumental parts, breakneck speed riffs, moshing parts, quality song structures and is full of emotion and passion. This is a fantastic record which I had been waiting to listen to for so long now and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is another great release for the UKHC scene and I hope everyone gets into this as much as I have. Pick it up here and help support True Valiance.

Stereo Killer

Myspace

Hardcore Afternooner

If you are lucky enough to have a day off today then you need to get down to Stockwell for this afternooner of UK hardcore. Doors open at 4pm and it's a bargain prices of 8 quid so it's definitely not to be missed. Here are some links to the bands playing:

Brutality Will Prevail

Prowler

Abolition

Wayfarer

A Long Time Dead

Forsaken

Think Twice

Crossbreaker

Natural Order

Bleak Reality

If you like what you hear come down and mosh!

Verse: 'Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace'

Verse - Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace

There has been a lot of hype since Verse have reformed, mostly positive but some negative and at the time I didn’t really know what to think, but after listening to Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace I am really glad that they decided to get back together. There is nothing special to the sound that Verse produce with their modern, melodic style of hardcore but the way they get their messages of emotion and anxiety across just really does it for me more than some other melodic bands do. From the screaming vocals of Sean Murphy to the instrumental guitar melodies and drum rhythms made by the band, from heavy to melodic, I think Verse have accomplished a sound of their own. This is definitely an essential record to have as Verse are an asset to the hardcore scene once again and this full length makes you want to detonate your emotions.

In my opinion, Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace isn’t as powerful as Rebuild and From Anger and Rage however, I listened these albums to death when they were released so they take a lot of beating. I was pleasantly surprised to still hear the anger and passion come out through their music instantaneously from the first track The Selfish of the Earth. There are a couple of tracks (The Silver Spoon and the Empty Plate and Oceanic Tendencies) which are shorter than Verse’s average song times, where time keeping it short and sweet but still managing to maintain their straight-to-the-point lyrical content and sounds. This isn’t the case for every track though, as Verse have still gone above and beyond to produce some intense guitar melodies; this is especially apparent in The Relevance of our Disconnect and with the technical solo in The Selfless of the Earth. This is not an album to be ignored as it provides the listener with outrivaled melodies, occasionally broken up with relaxing interludes throughout constructing a quality atmosphere.

Bitter Clarity, Uncommon Grace isn’t the most perfect record and I am pretty sure it is not to everyone’s taste, but who cares - the energy and motivation is still consistent throughout the record. It’s great to see individuals in the hardcore scene stay passionate and enthusiastic to cover topics such as politics, emotions and aggression. Some of the guitar sequences sound cluttered, evident clearly on The Selfless of the Earth and at times there is a lot of spoken words rather than shouting which could put off some listeners but, for me, this shows variety and a signature to Verse’s sound. The same emotion and energy can be detected from their previous material and personally I think you should do yourself a favour and pick this record up as it will definitely grow on you. Get it here from B9.