Back in the mid 1990's, there was one place to turn to for hardcore, and that was the thriving mecca of New York City. There was a plethora of talented and hard working bands coming from the NYHC scene. Today that work ethic can be rivaled by very few. Die Young are the latest export from Texas, the great state that has given us such things as The Alamo, Pantera, and Nolan Ryan - I like baseball so cut me some slack.
Each city in Texas caters to a specific style of music. The Dallas/Ft. Worth area is home to the metal/metalcore crowd, while Austin and El Paso stake claim of the indie/emo kids. And then you have San Antonio and Houston, which are the havens for the traditional hardcore acts. Die Young are the latter, reigning from Houston and playing hardcore music similar to that of Terror. The Message, a full-length release, actually chronicles the bands first year and a half of existence. The release contains Die Young's two previous 7" releases and four brand new tracks chuck full of crucial sing-alongs and heavy dance parts. So for those of you that weren't previously familiar to the band, this is the perfect package. The Message opens with the newest material from Die Young, which picks up exactly where the band left off. Tracks like "Drawn in Quarters" and "Anthem of the Prodigal Son" are pissed off anthems of hardcore punk that could give Hatebreed's Satisfaction is the Death of Desire a run for it's money. The guitar work of Sketch Nealy and the bass playing of Officer Gibson remind me a lot of early Integrity, specifically Systems Overload. Die Young know their niche, fast-paced hardcore punk, and stick to what they're best at as showcased on "The Renaissance" and "The Tortured Role." The throaty vocals of front-man The Rev. White Devil are very reminiscent of First Blood vocalist Carl. From a lyrical aspect, many might say that Die Young isn't bringing anything new to the table. The Rev. tackles a variety of topics from the thriving hardcore scene up to the political events of the world. The Rev. quickly offsets that in "The Message" as he declares "Fuck you all / I don't care if it's been said before / These are the thoughts that plague my mind." He makes it really hard to disagree; I'm one to let it fall by the wayside.
So in this day and age of hardcore bands being a dime a dozen, it might be slightly difficult for Die Young to distinguish themselves from the masses. Fortunately, Die Young are willing to push the limits to make a name for themselves. In their short life span they have released two 7"s, a full-length, and toured the Midwest and East Coast. It's doubtful Die Young will stop even to see what they've accomplished, for they already have their sights on the rest of the US with a full-scale summer tour with TX HC legends Will to Live.
