It's been a few years now since I first became acquainted with Once Nothing. They were just a local band playing shows wherever they could and having a good time playing to whoever would listen. Now the band is on Solid State, touring the U.S., and First Came the Law is their first big-label release.
Once Nothing fuses together the worlds of hardcore, metal, and southern rock into a sound that is similar to that of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Every Time I Die. While their earliest releases leaned heavy in the chaotic metalcore direction, the songs of First Came the Law ease up on the metalcore and meander down the southern rock / rock and roll trail a bit more. This is a welcome change as metalcore has just become so stale, but then again so have the southern-flair hardcore bands. I also feel the recording/mix of this album is a bit thin, thus hurting the intensity of the music of the album.
First Came the Law is a good record for Once Nothing to unleash onto the hordes of metalcore kids that run amuck in the world. I can't say that this album is all that delightful, but I can see this album providing them with a significant fanbase for the years to come.
