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Last Stand, The - The Time Is Now

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    Ian Jane
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  • Last Stand, The - The Time Is Now

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    Last Stand, The - The Time Is Now
    Released by: Eulogy Recordings
    Released on: January 22, 2013.
    Purchase From Amazon

    Made up of former Shutdown members Dion DeNardo on bass, Stephen Della Croce on guitar and Jimmy McCormack on drums with Inhuman's Mike Scondotto on vocals, the first full length album from New York City's The Last Stand (who have been playing live since 2010), entitled The Time Is Now, is a recording that sounds as urgent as its title.

    Given the fact that all involved in the four piece have got some serious experience in the NYHC scene under their collective belt it makes sense that this first album (which followed a five song 7” release last year and a self distributed four song demo CD before that in 2010 - there was also a split 7” with Suffer Survive released in 2012) would have a bit of a 'classic' hardcore sound. There's no screamo nonsense here, just thirteen tracks of blistering guitars, strong vocals and a pummeling rhythm section. Like the best hardcore albums, The Time Is Now does not slow down, period. It's fast. It's pissed off. And it sounds great.

    Anthemic choruses and crunching guitars are a constant on the album, with Scondotto's vocals stressing a sense of importance that does a great job of complimenting the 'straight to the point' lyrics. The album was recorded by Jerry Farley at Nova Studios in New York City's 'forgotten borough' of Staten Island and the production here is slick enough to make it sound good but not so slick that it feels untrue. The levels are solid, the instrumentation and vocals perfectly clear, but don't go expecting too much polish, as that'd take away from the band's rough and ready sound. Farley manages to hit the right balance here, the proper balance between sounding professional and sounding completely raw. Nothing lasts more than 2:41, it's all short, fast and to the point.

    On top of the expected amount of anger and aggression though, we get some seriously catchy songwriting. The opening track, “Unleashed,” sets the tone for the rest of the album as a few seconds of feedback catch your attention before the vocals burst over the barrage of guitar, bass and drums and the album just goes from there. “Where Were You” builds very fast, like vintage Agnostic Front and is a positive track about perseverance with a chorus that you'll be singing along to in no time. “Opportunities Lost And Found” was the first track released from the album and the band shot a video for it. Check it out here:



    “Good Day To Die” is one of the fastest songs on the album and a song with a darker tone to it but it fits in well. Fans will appreciate a guest appearance Sick Of It All's Lou Koller who helps out with vocals on “Watch You Go” - a stand out track on the album that pretty much instantly makes you want to jump around and smash stuff, right from the opening riff (which continues throughout the entire song). “Samurai” has got a bit more of a low end to it, it's a bit more bass heavy and a bit more thick than the other tracks, not quite as fast but equally heavy, particularly once the chorus kicks in. This is definitely in the NYHC sound but maybe there's a little bit of Black Sabbath in the lower, slower end of the song? I could be imagining things. “TLS GO!” is a bit of a call to arms, a truly rhythmic track that sounds a little bit like early Helmet without much in the way of vocals. “Conviction” takes us back in to some pretty pissed off territory, a little bit of echo on the vocals during the chorus adding some dramatic effect and helping to differentiate it from the rest of the album. It's a solid track but not as good as “Change” which beings with a “1-2-3-GOOOOO“ before barreling down the road full speed ahead and throwing in some seriously chunky bass playing here and there to thicken things up. “Lives Lost” is a bit more pensive a song, waxing nostalgic about how doing your own things and living life by your own rules can, if you choose to push it too far, result in unexpected consequences. Given how many have fallen early in the NYHC it's obviously pulling from experience and memory. “Darkness Vs. Light” is another slice of 'heavy' with some interesting lyrics about honoring a commitment and staying true to what you think is right. The penultimate track, “Life's Questions”, is blisteringly fast at only 1:18 long but it's not short on intensity. The last track on the album features guest appearances from Vision's Dave Franklin and Agnostic Front/Inhuman's Joseph James “Find Out.” It ends the album on a high note, proving to be the catchiest song on the entire album even featuring a quick twenty second guitar solo just before the half way mark. The drums really stand out on this track, maybe because they're a bit more prominent in the mix, but this is a fist pumper, a sing-a-long track that'll stick in your head long after the album has finished.

    The track listing for this album is:

    Unleashed / Where Were You / Opportunities Lost And Found / Good Day To Die / Watch You Go / Samurai / TLS GO! / Conviction / Change / Lives Lost / Darkness Vs. Light / Life's Questions / Find Out

    To finish, The Last Stand's debut album isn't reinventing the wheel and it's all the better for it. These guys wear their influences proudly on their collective sleeve and they're not necessarily taking the traditional New York Hardcore sound into a different place. But you know what? They don't need to. They do what they do really well here, there's honestly not a bad track on this recording.

    Check out the band's official website for tour dates, photos, merchandise links and more!

    And while you're at it, why not watch The Last Stand's first ever live show from The Bowery Electric recorded on 10/3/10!

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