Cursed are one of those hardcore/punk bands that are genuinely worth people's time and attention. Their music is vicious, honest, and gloriously consistent. The lyrics are both personal and politically driven. One could almost say that topically there is something for everyone, particularly for those into heavy punk rock and hardcore. Every record that they release is almost guaranteed to be worth the time and energy to acquire, listen, and digest. Blackout at Sunrise is a teaser for the band's upcoming album. And tease it does.
"Blackout at Sunrise" is a brooding chiller of a song. The vocals are awesome. The whole mood is just so misanthropic and almost sinister; the vocals play a huge role in that effect. The lyrical content is given a lengthy dissertation on the 7" explaining how "Blackout at Sunrise" is about "institutionalized mind control." The image that the lyrics paint is just about as terrifying. "A brilliant white light fills my mouth and eyes. Double- Bind your hands and feet. Double- Bind your lips and teeth." Typing the lyrics makes me feel a bit incarcerated. The music is a slow burn with an explosive sound that dynamically adds to the dark mood of the track. The tone of the guitars is very dirty sounding and the drums just sound devastating.
"The Hands Will Abide" has a much more straight-ahead sound. It is a quick fire, less than three-minute burst of manic energy that Cursed has become better and better at over time. It has a thick guitar throaty vocal attack that bulldozes the listener. "Hawaii" is a curious cover track. It begins with an abundance of noise that comes across like something off of Sunn0)))'s Black One. It is a great affect on this EP. When Cursed explodes from this introduction of sorts, the music is accompanied by a faint shouting in the background. It has a more upbeat sound than what one could expect from this outfit and is a manic flurry of noise that seemingly never wants to relent.
Blackout at Sunrise serves as a great teaser for III. It not only whets the appetite for more (if only for the briefest of moments), but it definitely makes the anticipation for the full-length kick into overdrive. Hopefully, we will not have to wait long. Any record that details the type of psychological warfare and condemns it in the same breath with lyrics like, "This science is black as sin," is more than okay in my book. Even if you have never heard this band, search out this little slice. Anyone into heavy punk and hardcore should be able to appreciate this. Cursed is easily one of the most powerful bands in hardcore and punk today.
