Portland, Oregon's
Tragedy returned with a slightly more polished hardcore sound on their second full-length album, 2003's
Vengeance; relinquishing another smidgeon of the "crust" left over from their year 2000 debut, and before that, their origins as Tennessee crustcore icons
His Hero Is Gone. Don't let this mislead you, however:
Todd Burdette's raw gargle of a voice was back, just as fierce as ever before, and anyone expecting a less-punishing aural experience should prepare to leave their head at the door of devastating, decimating, and, yes, decapitating, speed-crushers like "Conflicting Ideas," "The Lure," "No Words," and others. As with the band's debut,
Vengeance alternates these no-holds-barred onslaughts with tracks marked by more deliberate tempos, such as "Call to Arms," "War Within Us," "Night Falls" (which stunningly pays tribute to
Cliff Burton's "Orion"), and others bearing groove-laden riffs like "The Day After" and the title cut. All and sundry -- fast or slow -- are generally rife with melodies providing startling contrasts, but none more so than the jaw-dropping "Beginning of the End," which stands out as an absolute genre landmark, not just one for the band. And, as indicated by these titles,
Tragedy's lyrical content remained every bit as pessimistic as ever before, proving that their ever-evolving sound (also including quasi-metallic riffing overtures, so heavy they hurt!) in no way betrayed a softening of their convictions. Vengeance indeed.