Legendary vocalist Shawn Brown, formerly of such notable acts as
Swiz,
Sweetbelly Freakdown, and
Dag Nasty, heads up this band of four tattoo artists from Baltimore. Playing hardcore with a punk attitude, vocalist Brown rants on about a myriad of subjects including suicide, being on the road, relationships, and more. Produced by Brian McTernan (Cave In,
Snapcase,
Frodus), the sound is clear and the production ably captures the energy that this band no doubt gives off in a live setting. The music is filled with rock hooks but is also gritty and sometimes vexatious in its take on hardcore. While not old-school hardcore by any means, it plays off with much repetition within each tune thus reminding one of the aforementioned style. There are some bright spots, lyrically, and outside of the brutal guitar-fronted attack there can be an occasional withdrawn moment that reflects something more going on within the band than just sheer machismo. For a unit with a well-known member, one might expect more; Brown's vocals don't sound nearly as inviting and strong as with his previous acts, and the music isn't nearly as convincing as one might hope, but what's here is by no means unlikable and thus worth a listen by fans of the Deathwish label. ~ Kurt Morris