Counterparts - The Current Will Carry Us

 Part 1 of Super Hardcore Weekend

I don't know if I've ever heard every modern style of Hardcore put into a blender, but Counterparts seems to have done just that.  From the epic octave chords of Final Fight, to the balanced mathiness of Stray From the Path, to the straight forward metallic heaviness of Rise and Fall.  Everyone's in the pool on The Current Will Carry us.  They pull it off quite well, although I wish the changes in style weren't so abrupt.  At times, it feels like a dj is playing three hardcore records at once and trying to splice them all into one song, but that's also it's charm.  Counterparts (named after a great Rush album by the way) do stick out among other Hardcore bands, even if it's in a way they may not have intended.  True to their proggy name, these Canadian boys display great musicianship (ultra tight).  I should also mention the production is practically perfect; cutting, warm, clear.  Everything you could want is here, even if it jostles you a round a bit.

     cool art, too

 nuts and screws

Final Fight - Under Attack

This album brings me back to when (Irish accent) I was a wee little boy in the summer 2006.  I was so stoked to be visiting the Bay Area, which I considered to be a liberal utopia at the time.  The recent wave of melodic Posi bands was giving me a fresh take on Hardcore.  One of those bands was Final Fight, and I had been waiting a couple months to see them at the golden temple known as Gilman.  The show was pretty cool, but the best part was just being able to experience a different scene, straightedge. Coming from the old-school and Crust dominated scene in Minneapolis, this new culture was inspiring.  Seeing hardcore kids that were hygienic, sober, and in good health was pretty revolutionary to me.  I knew scenes like this existed, I had just never seen them before, it was like going to a concert for the first time all over again.

Now, about the record: Under Attack is a modern-day classic of Melodic Hardcore.  Although typically short, it's got hooks in spades from all the instruments, without any annoying clean singing.  It keeps a pretty brisk pace with occasional moderate-chunk mosh parts to give some dynamics.  Short songs, plenty of time changes, memorable riffs and rhythms, this album never get's boring (except for that long chord loop at the end, but hey, nothing's perfect).  This style may be an acquired taste (even for Hardcore die-hards), but if you like your Hardcore with hooks and a positive message, this is for you.

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