With poverty becoming a fashion statement (I'm sure some Vice or Pitchfork contributor has ditched the birth-control glasses and bangover for bike hats and bandanas) and crust bands taking the place of the In Flames sound-alikes, it's nice to see a band like Deathcycle is actually catering to the hardcore aspect of the music. While still intensely political and fast, Deathcycle don't pull any punches when it comes to the heaviness factor. The best way to describe their sound is if an NYHC band played d-beat.
Some will say this record is "sketchy music for sketchy people," but then again they're probably retarded and didn't even read the lyrics (like an unnamed Vice Magazine writer). If you enjoy relevant and inflammatory commentary on the state of life, politics, and religion, this is your record. Songs like "Punk is a Joke" and "Religion is Mind Control" speak volumes to me, and I cannot help but agree. The vocals are delivered in a manner similar to Human Furnace's, yet slightly more audible. The music itself, while fast in the vein of most d-beat hardcore takes cues from NYHC and brings a heavy break or two to keep those not interested in the lyrics attentive.
Towards the end of the album Deathcycle really hits its stride with the song "Take Your Life Back," my personal favorite. The self-titled track brings the record to a crushing and dark note, coming to the conclusion that at this point there really is no hope for mankind. Everything on this record clicks, from the music to the vocals and even the artwork on this record. The cover shows Jesus' wrists slit as the all seeing eye of the dollar watches, with further art bound to offend the Christian Right.
While Deathcycle, for the most part, are only good-but-not great, it's refreshing to see a heavy hardcore record that is both intelligent and threatening.
