If you like albums that are pure noise in the vein of groups like The Casualties then Fire the Faith is for you. The music is solid with the trademark hardcore drums, shredding guitars, and rabid bass lines that set the sound of hardcore apart from the rest of rock. Some songs on here like “The Curse (Pay the Price)” or “Forcefed” bring a sort of classic ‘80s hardcore feel to them with influences from groups like The Exploited and G.B.H. Unfortunately, this album plays itself out fast. Usually 31-minute long albums aren’t too long, but I think Monster Squad would’ve been better served by making Fire the Faith an EP or at least cutting out the unnecessarily long “A Nightmare to Consume.” The production on this album is super clean and this (unintentionally of course) hurts the album. Bands that claim to be street punk should not sound slick. Overall this isn’t bad hardcore. It’s just not great and tails off into disappointment.

(Punk Core Records, PO Box 916, Middle Island, NY 11983)