Metallic hardcore is easily my favorite genre of not only hardcore, but of all musical genres. My fondness of this genre is a direct result of it being the first type of music I truly immersed myself in. Bands like Integrity, Strife, One King Down, Snapcase, and Indecision among others regularly dominated my Walkman. You know, those things like an iPod but it played CD's, even cassettes at one point long long ago. Southern California's newest offering, Force of Change, is heavily influenced by mid-90's metallic hardcore, and naturally, I can't get enough of them.
The Bond We Share is a five-song EP comprised of the band's four song demo re-mixed and re-mastered with a little bonus. The EP kicks off with the title track. The song is filled with more than enough opportunities to sing-along. The riffs are crisp and pack a hell of a punch - and they show a definite Strife influence. The vocal team of David and James trade off verses and choruses tackling the issue of the eternal edge - a topic covered on subsequent tracks as well.
"Disgrace" and "All I See" follow in similar fashion - though they do incorporate the use of breakdowns into their song-structures. "No Allegiance" returns to a slightly more hardcore/punk approach with fast-paced drumming; though the guitars still retain that metal feel resulting in a sound similar to Earth Crisis before they became a metal band. Also included on the EP is a cover of A Chorus of Disapproval's "Full Circle Stop," a band that I've always heard mentioned by friends as one of the best-kept secrets of So Cal. Force of Change does the song justice, jazzing it up just a tad to give it some extra oomph. And maybe their cover will turn a few more people onto an underrated band.
Force of Change may not be the most original band ever - who is these days? - but that's really the only fault I can find with The Bond We Share. Outside of that, this is a fantastic EP and I anxiously am waiting the arrival of their full-length on Indecision Records later this year.
