Path to Misery is a musical-collective from Pittsburgh, PA. The group of individuals involved focuses their attention of raising awareness of government actions, social issues, and other forward-thinking ideas through music. Musically, they set things to a soundtrack of abrasive hardcore with dashes of metal, d-beat, and grind thrown in for good measure.
Their latest demo is comprised of three songs. The first is "The Gauntlet." Musically the song is a nice mixture of metallic hardcore and thrashy metalcore. Vocally, I am reminded of Himsa/Undertow vocalist John Pettibone. "Relentless Persistence" is just as punishing, the riffs really drive the song. Overall, these two songs remind me a bit of Another Victim and Racetraitor, with the latter containing hints of Neurosis. The demo concludes with "Third World War." The song is from a different recording session and features a different vocalist. The song is preceded by a long-running sample by John Stockwell about what actions the CIA conduct on a daily basis. Unfortunately, "Third World War" is a bit weaker than the previous recordings. The vocal delivery is a bit forced and the song comes off as a bit simplistic in structure.
This demo is a nice snapshot of the band at this point in their career. I'm definitely interested to see where they take things on their next recording. If you are seeking hardcore with substance, take a listen.
