It seems as though the popularity of real hardcore has a formulaic ebb and flow that changes with the years. A style that may draw 500 kids to a VFW hall in 1988 certainly isn't going to get the same crowd in 2004, is it? Well, given the monumental growth of labels like Bridge 9, Martyr, Deathwish and others over the past year, I wouldn't be so sure. It seems as though everywhere you look these days there is a new demo being jocked, a hot new 7" that you need in 12 different colors of vinyl, or maybe a band that is simply getting the kind of attention that it wouldn't have 3 or 4 years ago. Of course there are those of us that are always burning up message boards, passing out flyers, or shaking with anticipation over the next show that doesn't feature 14 identical metal bands playing watered down chugga-chugga hardcore. But it seems that even the masses are starting to catch onto the intensity and fun of real hardcore.
Of course, with this growing popularity, there comes loads of new bands, and quite a few imitators as well, looking to cash in on an easy target. I can assure you, hand on my heart, that Minneapolis' The Good Fight has nothing to do with neither the hype, nor the false intentions you may be seeing crowding zines and message boards. Composed of former members of heavy-weights Harvest, Season of Fire, and Threadbare, this band is loaded for bear, and their proper debut, Breathing Room, doesn't disappoint in the least. The EP itself is basically a re-release of their winter 2003 demo, as well as 2 brand new songs that were recorded this past January and February. Despite the different recordings periods, I haven't found this to be a disjointed release at all. The songs blend well, both in songwriting and production, into a single well crafted disc.
Sound wise, imagine your favorite Harvest record played on 45 instead of 33. It isn't by any means a carbon copy, but the similarities in chord work and song structure are defiantly there. The wall of sound that is guitar players Carl Skildum and Kevin Call (you may have seen him playing bass for Comeback Kid recently) is by far the driving element in this band, searing with the intensity of hardcore's more traditional axe men, but with a complex edge that you would expect from this lineup. The band is musically rounded out by the airtight rhythm section of drummer Shawn Davis and bassist Jon Mcaab. If you are familiar with the vocal work of Dave Walker in his previous bands, you know that this guy is no rookie when it comes to throat searing screams, but what you get with The Good Fight is a slightly more mature use of the voice as an instrument, as well as some very well placed sing alongs. His attack blends well over the crisp, clean stream of music coming from the four musicians behind him, and compliments their performance rather than acts as a shouted attention deterrence.
With all this in mind, remember that you aren't picking up the new Dillinger Escape Plan or Radiohead record, you are stepping into a scene where tradition and heart sometimes mean more than shredding guitar necks or pushing the boundaries of art rock. What you are getting with Breathing Room isn't necessarily the most groundbreaking release in heavy music, but its originality lies in the obvious determination to produce honest songs and some memorable music.
The falling point of this release that may not make it worth the purchase to some people is simply its length: lightning fast hardcore + 5 songs and an intro = not a lot of music. But fret not, Indecision will be releasing their debut full length next fall. While the metal influence of the member's previous work is there, don't expect the next heavy hitting metalcore sound to come out of this EP, or any of the huge breakdowns currently popular in hardcore. While there is no doubt that is a hardcore band playing hardcore music for people who like hardcore, I think anyone who was into any of the member's previous work, will appreciate this. Likewise, today's hordes of kids going nuts over With Honor and The Comeback Kid will probably eat this up, shoulder to shoulder with the older guys who remember when Gorilla Biscuits and Sick of it All were at the peak of their game.
