This is some really good gritty, dirty hardcore that takes detours into grindcore and sludge-punk (which makes sense because a lot of the early stoner and sludge bands said they were playing slow-downed hardcore). In a way, it’s come full circle.

I can’t really decipher the lyrics, but with song titles such as “Old Friends Don’t Mean Shit” and “Jock Powerviolence” you can get a pretty good idea where these guys are coming from. So it’s everything good hardcore should be: fast, energetic, sincere, and full of attitude with just enough detours to keep it interesting and keep the more conservative hardcore fans on their toes.

If you want a really good hardcore record — one that is fine for a starting a circle pit in your living room — this makes for the perfect record. Just remember, if someone falls down, pick them up!

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)