East coast and west coast heavyweights collide on this split release from two under the radar acts in today's metal/hardcore scene. Hoods and Freya attempt to set themselves apart from the dullness that is plaguing the hardcore and underground metal scenes.
Sacramento's Hoods has been striving for recognition for the past seven years; the majority of that time has been spent without any label support whatsoever. Despite the lack of label backing, the band continued to persevere, gaining a cult following and earning themselves the respect that they deserve.
Hoods contributes four brand new tracks as well as two re-workings of songs from previous releases to this split. The first track "Guilty" begins with a slightly melodic instrumental, something not to be expected. But this moment is quickly destroyed as the brutal guitars and vocal assault kicks in. Mike Hood attacks the listener with affronting lyrics about his feelings towards the way the hardcore scene he holds so dear is being tainted by fakes. He furthers his message on "West Coast Worldwide," a fast-paced punk-tinged track dedicated to the hardcore venue he helps run. Following suit, "The Only Good Thief" and "I Own You" are hardcore gems chuck full of breakdowns that pack more clout than Babe Ruth. Hoods round out their side of the split with their classic "Once Again [2004]," which has been re-worked for the umpteenth time.
Freya formed out of the ashes of seminal hardcore act Earth Crisis. And based on the material that Earth Crisis was putting out towards the end of their run, it's probably best they broke up. Following this breakup I was hoping for a return to the days of "Firestorm" and "Gomorrah's Season Ends." Instead the band's demo sounded more like a Godsmack clone.
It doesn't take more than a few seconds into "Immortal Beloved" to find out that I wasn't the only one disappointed with the band's early direction. Karl Buechner and company chose a metal approach to their new songs, falling somewhere between Another Victim and early Killswitch Engage. Freya blows through five songs in under nine minutes. And while the fast-paced aggression is in line with typical hardcore, some of the tracks seem to end just as they are getting started, in particular "Prey to the Gods of War" and "Spray Paint the Walls." Even though the new songs from Freya are a definite improvement over those from the band's previous release, As the Last Light Drains, unfortunately for Freya, they lack the direction that would help to distinguish them from the ever-growing pack of metal/hardcore hybrids.
Coming from Victory Records, this release is kind of surprise. I had just assumed the label had forgotten their hardcore roots. Granted Victory boasts Ringworm and Comeback Kid among its ranks, but this is the label that ruled the genre in the mid-90's. And while I expect more, this is the best I am going to get.
