Review / 200 Words Or Less
Dirty Money
No Escaping This

Dead & Gone (2007) Michael

Dirty Money – No Escaping This cover artwork
Dirty Money – No Escaping This — Dead & Gone, 2007

Dirty Money is one of the latest upstarts to emerge from the U.K. scene and take hardcore by storm. Dirty Money set forth a furious attack of fast-paced hardcore that draws great influence from the New York scene. No Escaping This features four new songs, all of which blend together the classic NYHC sound with flairs of metal and crossover groves. The title-track and "Mind in Pieces" are full-force attacks of hardcore that bear resemblance to Cold World, Madball, and Ringworm, but with a more aggressive vocal delivery. "It's Real" closes out the new songs here and it is easily the best of the bunch.

Tacked on, as a bonus, is the band's demo recording. The intro and title-track are smoking and no doubt get a crowd moving. "Out of Luck" is a fast-paced number and "No One" is probably the hardest thing they've written to date - the breakdown at the end smashes.

Overall, I think I dig the band's demo a bit more than the new songs. The demo songs seem a lot more fresh sounding and more cohesive. The first three new cuts are okay, but just don't seem focused enough, unlike "It's Real" and the demo tunes.

6.5 / 10Michael • November 20, 2007

Dirty Money – No Escaping This cover artwork
Dirty Money – No Escaping This — Dead & Gone, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Bitter Branches

Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals
Equal Vision (2026)

Sometimes when you think of a town you think of a certain sound. Philadelphia is not one of those cities for me, as the bands I know from the area vary a lot in style. Yes, there is the Dan Yemin tree (Lifetime / Kid Dynamite / Paint It Black) but there are also poppy bands and emo bands and … Read more

Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs

Pigus Drunkus Maximus (Reissue)
Blind Owl Records (2026)

If rock ’n’ roll ever had a smoky, beer-soaked, throbbing heartbeat, it lives in Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs’ Pigus Drunkus Maximus. Recorded in 1981 but not released until 1987 on Restless Records, the album always felt like a document out of time — lightning caught like fireflies in clumsy hands, then bottled too long. This newly remastered reissue, … Read more

Dream Fatigue

No Requiem
Daze (2026)

There’s a particular tension that makes alternative rock compelling. I love the emotional push and pull between softness and eruption. On No Requiem, Massachusetts outfit Dream Fatigue thrive in that space, crafting a seven song EP that balances dreamlike melody with bursts of distortion and emotional urgency. Born from the creative partnership between drummer Matt Wood and vocalist Jonali McFadden, … Read more