The great thing about this Jacksonville, Florida-based hardcore band is that they play fast and loose with the rules of their genre. Though the songs are short and raw, and Dan Strickland is an intense vocalist, their breakdowns owe more to Black Sabbath than Biohazard, and guitarist Shane Kelley is an ace on guitar, peppering these tracks with many, fast, ripping solos.

They are one of a growing group of bands across the continent who are not afraid to let hard rock get into their hardcore. You can call it punk n’ roll if you like, but right now there is a small but growing contingent of bands like this that fuse these two genres into a kick-ass hybrid. There is Burning Love in Canada. Deadkill has Seattle on lockdown, while The Shrine is one of many that represents California. Consider these guys the southern contingent, along with Unholy Thoughts in Richmond, Virginia.

“The Sabbath” opens with a riff worthy of the band name checked in its title, and holds it there while Strickland screams over the top and Kelley throws off the first of many solos. The title track that follows speeds up the pace and throws in a little amped-up Southern rock to the mix, as well as another killer solo. “Instrumental” displays the chops of not only Kelley, but also of bassist Marc Laroche and drummer Andrew Blanton. “Wasteland” starts fast, does a false ending, and comes back with another Sab-worthy riff. Kelley fires off another solo, and the song ends with the bass and drums playing over feedback. “Swan Song” ends the album by merging all their influences into one grand finish, ending with Strickland imploring the listener, “don’t lose hope.”

This record shows a band coming into its own with a new twist on an old favorite, managing to find the right balance between hardcore rage and rock n roll raunch. It’s high time hardcore kids had some fun and got down with a little rock ‘n roll. This record will help them.

(Melotov Records, 21720 Redwood Canyon Pl., Santa Clarita, CA 91390)