MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Within seconds of the synth-choir/drum-build of "Shark Ethic", you just know that "Merciless" is going to be another stupendous hardcore release from New York's MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD. Veterans of the hardcore scene like core member and guitarist Justin Brannan helped give the band its intelligent and hard-as-nails style on both "Nothing in Vein" and "Our Lady of Annihilation". Both albums are definitively hardcore, yet are just unique enough (thanks to strong arrangements and thoughtful lyricism) to set the band apart from the hardcore masses. On "Merciless", the band delivers another punishing musical blow and tosses a few subtle surprises into the mix.

MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD again comes up with a slew of killer riffs (including the melodic and the metal-edged) to go with the bruising beats. Keeping it heavy and memorable at once is an approach that continues to pay dividends for the band. Tracks like "Driving Angry" and "Damage Control Freak" are about as low-key as a baseball bat to the skull, yet just catchy enough to become embedded in the brain after only a few listens. That lines such "You can shove your fucking love" and "I hate you with all my heart" (from "Damage Control Freak") can put a snarl on the face and get a foot tapping attests to the balance struck. "Driving Angry" also happens to be the only track with a clean vocal (in this case a harmony vocal set back in the mix),a contrast to "Our Lady of Annihilation", which had several. Whether it's "Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves" or "Mad as the March Hare", Rob Fusco proves why he's one of the most passionate vocalists in hardcore. Never easing up on the aggression and spitting out every lyric as if it's his last, Fusco gets the point across with conviction. The programmed bits (strings, effects, etc) are skillfully woven into the songs, providing subtle nuance and minor accents that work to diversify the arrangements without diluting the intensity.

The only slowing of the tempo comes on the last song, "Temporary Solution to a Permanent Problem". The unusually long track opens with a recording of a preacher playing on the blind faith of his followers and encouraging financial assistance by any means necessary, the purported benefit that of salvation. A slow and agonizing plod, matched with strings and Fusco's soul-purging performance, the song tells of Christianity's history of hypocrisy and deceit. The album doesn't actually end there, as every nook and cranny of remaining disc space is taken up with a wide array of band goofs and shenanigans. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

It's really quite simple. If you're a fan of raging hardcore with quality songwriting and thought-provoking lyrics, then "Merciless" is the album for you. Easily one of the year's best hardcore releases.