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Battalion Of Saints - Self Titled E.P.
Released by: Southern Lord Records
Released on: October 30th, 2015.
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Southern Lord are now going to do for San Diego's Battalion Of Saints what they've been doing for Portlands's Poison Idea for a couple of years now - reach into that back catalogue and get some of that stuff back in print, and bring some new music out as well. At this point in the band's history, stretching back well over thirty years, vocalist and founding member George Anthony is the only original member but the guys he's got playing with him - Nate Javier (of Angry Samoans) on guitar, Matt Vicknair (Angry Samoans) and Mike Vega (Of Hirax) on drums - know what they're doing.
Together they've put together this new self titled three song E.P., the first offering through the new Southern Lord deal. It opens up with a track called Darkness, a ninety-five second slice of classic style hardcore punk with the guitars right up front in the mix. It's pounding, rhythmic and repetitive just as you'd want it to be, some great gang vocals in spots and Anthony's leads sound fierce.
The second track is the two and a half minute long Nightmare. It starts off with a thick, chunky bass line but the guitars and drums come in overtop of that nicely. Anthony's vocals are a bit more restrained here, he doesn't sound like he wants to rip your throat out this time, but he still sounds pretty intense and the band match him at every step of the way. This is fast, pounding and hard and it builds towards a pretty insane finale.
The third and final track is Bombs, also clocking in at around two and a half minutes and it's just as fast, if not faster, than the opening track. It's pretty much straight up hardcore, though there's an unexpected guitar solo at the half way point that sort of sets this one apart, but once that's out of the way it segues back into speedy, angry and pissed off territory. Which is just as it should be.
If these guys have got more material in them that's as good as the three songs laid down on this E.P. then bring it on.
