TOO PURE TO DIE

As the old saying goes, "keep it simple, stupid". In a world where everyone and their brother is starting a hardcore band and thinking way too hard about it, Des Moines, Iowa's TOO PURE TO DIE stick to the basics of heavy riffs, thick grooves, and in-your-face vocals. More accurately, "Confidence and Consequence" rides the line between metal and hardcore (basically metallic hardcore) and even incorporate breakdowns in the right parts without it becoming annoying.

It is not as though the music heard here is anything new; TOO PURE TO DIE just kick hard, punish, and get out across 10 tracks with an easily digested running time of 29 minutes. Paul Zurlo borrows from the Anselmo school of whiskey soaked (metaphorically speaking),pissed off vocals, which is but one of the characteristics of "Confidence and Consequence" that reminds of bands like THROWDOWN (think "Vendetta"). The act goes for a fundamentally hardcore delivery with a range of riffs that work pretty damn well, and it has nothing to do with technicality and everything to do with pit-worthy slams. Songs like "99" and the title track will have even the most jaded fan catching himself head-banging along to the guitar lines and beats. You will not find irksome crooning or tunes jammed with Swedish harmonies either, only concrete tough skull crackers. Album closer "What's Left" is the only one of the bunch that injects a bit more melody, and even then it's a marginal amount, compared to the rest of the disc.

So OK, there isn't a damn thing inventive about "Confidence and Consequence" and it is not as though TOO PURE TO DIE are the new saviors of metallic hardcore (not even close). The album is simply one that keeps it basic and bruising to mostly satisfying effect. If you're one that spends all his/her time with bands like THROWDOWN and BURY YOUR DEAD, then you probably won't find a great deal about "Confidence and Consequence" to rave about, as it certainly does not add anything to the genre. TOO PURE TO DIE just takes what they know and go for it. Given the right mood, the group's formula can be quite enjoyable.