During the late 90's there occurred a revival of the youth crew sound that had dominated the hardcore scene during the mid-80's up through the early 90's. Today, we are witnessing what I consider to be a revival of the mid-90's metallic hardcore scene. A significant number of bands are stating influence from the likes of Earth Crisis, Integrity, Undertow, Indecision, and Strife - bands that dominated the hardcore circuit of the mid and late 90's. There is a logical reason for this, just as there was to the youth crew revival. Those individuals that "grew up on" mid-90's hardcore are now in their mid-to-late twenties and have their own bands. And we all know that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But Palehorse isn't just another apple; they are one of best bands in the current hardcore scene.
Following the release of last year's Secrets Within Secrets, Palehorse deliver unto the hardcore scene their first full-length offering, Amongst the Flock. Over the course of the eleven tracks, Palehorse unleashes a visceral auditory attack. The album opens with the intro track "St. Louis," which sets the stage for the Connecticut-based outfit to blow things open with "Amongst the Flock." The title-track hits the listener with a sound derived from the likes of Ringworm's The Promise.
As the band makes their way through Amongst the Flock, they knock through song after song of fast-tempo punishing metallic hardcore. Songs like "Consuming Me," "Witch Hunt," and "As the Serpent" are highlighted by truly scorching guitars and pummeling drums. On the lyrical front, Palehorse vocalist Vincent Calandra has a fairly apocalyptic vision of our world. His thoughts are especially evident on the tracks "1948" and "Domestic War." But I think he sums things up best on "33 Degree" with the statement that "this world is decaying / rotting from the inside out."
The album does include a couple of re-recordings. "Bleed the Sheep" is taken from the band's split 7" with Under One Flag. I'm glad the song has been given a chance for more exposure, as it is, in my opinion, one of the finest song's they've ever written. The band also chose to re-record the track "Mayday" from Secrets Within Secrets. The song epitomizes the Palehorse sound and is a perfect closer to this full-length.
Amongst the Flock is going to catapult Palehorse to the forefront of the hardcore scene. Not only does the album contain an impressive sound, but also a message one can and should wrap ones head around.
