SWORN ENEMY

Usually, those pithy one-sentence band summaries are bad news, but in the case of SWORN ENEMY it might work. How about: "New York hardcore meets thrash metal in a Gothenburg back alley and gets in a bare-knuckles brawl?" Hell, that's corny enough to make it into a quote in a magazine ad. But it also happens to describe these metalized hardcore thugs to a tee — they're equal parts hardcore viciousness and thrash venom, and the whole mixture, simple as it may be, is seething with a jaw-dislocating intensity.

At their best, the band gives you the tastiest bits of both styles in the same song, as on the incredible "Destroyer" — a ripping solo right out of the Bay Area circa 1988 careens headlong into a bruising breakdown, vocalist Sal's battery-acid black metal yelp etching itself into the proceedings. Little tidbits of SLAYER-esque melody are tossed around and used to spruce up chugging downpicked brutality, while the song structures and soloing belie a lot more musical chops than your average crew of close-cropped street-corner knuckleheads. Overall, the effect is quite refreshing — SWORN ENEMY's hardcore roots keep them lean, hungry and intense, while their metal skills make their songwriting interesting and add a compelling dimension to a sound that can be stale in lesser hands.

"Maniacal" isn't thinking man's music by any stretch, but it's certainly smarter than your average hardcore. That extra little bit of care, the talent to add an extra dimension without losing any of its urgency or immediacy, is what makes SWORN ENEMY stand out in a crowded field. After all, you gotta hand it to a band that can soak up this much metal influence over the course of their career and still not lose the spark that made them special to begin with, or throw over their original identity in the name of alleged growth.

"Maniacal" is an impressive slab of anger, chaos under just the right amount of control. That back-alley brawl I mentioned? It's in full swing now, and there's a fistful of metal with your name on it, just over in the shadows.