 Two bands, six tracks, less than ten minutes of music. Hardly the foundations for a page straddling review. However, as this split single comes from the hardcore gurus at New Jersey's Blackout! label we'll excuse the small package in expectation of good things.
First up are NYC veterans Kill Your Idols, who are old hands at the split single game having already teamed up with the likes of Full Speed Ahead, Vorhees and Good Riddance over the years. To be honest, From XLII To UR90, Why Can't I? and Time Don't Heal A Thing don't offer anything particularly engaging, being typical old school NY hardcore that struggles to elevate itself above its influences.
Fellow local boys Crime In Stereo are an entirely different proposition. The sub-minute Twice Daily To Prevent Nausea opens up a trio of memorable tracks that deliver melody without sacrificing aggression, and instantly propel the band into the heady circles currently inhabited by the likes of The Hope Conspiracy and Hot Water Music. Yeah, that good. Explosives And The Will To Use Them is Crime In Stereo's debut studio album, and if all this split single does is act as a brief advert for that, then it's done its job. :: Rowan Shaeffer |
