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| < | | | __ < | ___| proudly presents...
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Artist...... Downswing
Album....... Dark Side Of The Mind
Label....... Rise Records
Genre....... Hardcore
Releasedate 2017-11-10
Encoder..... LAME 3.97
Bitrate..... 320kbps
Size........ 32.43 mb
Duration.... 13:21
WWW......... http://play.google.com
.Tracklist .................................................................
01 Hell [ 1:52]
02 Disease [ 2:59]
03 Enough [ 2:35]
04 Immolate [ 1:53]
05 Bitter [ 4:02]
.Releasenotes ..............................................................
Some people lead blessed or privileged lives where there are never any true
obstacles that need overcomingùno major traumatic events, just smooth
sailing. Some people are just goddamn lucky.
Then thereÆs everyone elseùeveryone who is subject to the unpredictable ups
and downs of life, fickle as they may be. Any of those people will tell
youùhell, theyÆll show youùthat life is 5% what happens to you, and 95% how
you react. How you take the punches life hurls at you and ride the downswing
until it takes you back up to the top. And if you have any doubt about that,
then you probably arenÆt aware of Albany-based hardcore band-turned-movement,
Downswing. Formed from the ashes of previous bands and hardened by the
closest thing to hellfire that exists on earth, Downswing and their punchy,
bold, catchy and creative blend of hardcore, punk and a uniquely New York
mindset have crafted an East Coast movement aptly called Swingstyleùone word
that described the maelstrom of intensity Downswing offer to a tee.
Downswing do little on their debut EP to create their own genre or carve out
a new soundùrather, they take a punk-based, hectic hardcore foundation and
add their own styles to the mix. At the bandÆs relentlessly beating heart is
percussionist Nick Manzellaùwho doesnÆt really know the meaning of the word
ôchill.ö Every second of DownswingÆs breakout EP is explosive, with
ManzellaÆs energetic and intense drumming punching the listener in the face
with every sharp, snappy hit of the snare. Songs like ôImmolateö offer the
closest thing the listener gets to a rest, with mere seconds of Manzella
taking a breather between bouts of swift and splendid percussive expertise
that blends punk with hardcore and hints of darker, more aggressive and moody
metallic elements to add both edge and density. Where Manzella leads the
instrumental charge on Dark Side of the Mind, bassist Brandon Jared is always
at his side, capturing the hectic and ceaseless energy of his live
performance with a groovy, grisly and snappy low end that coats ManzellaÆs
kick drum and toms like molten tar. ôBitterö does an excellent job of this,
as does the ten-ton track ôImmolate.ö However, the introductory track,
ôHell,ö favors the bandÆs punkier influences over their barbaric tendency to
bust bones and melt flesh. Here, Jared works excellently with guitarists
Chris Arnold and Anthony Salvaggio to steep the listener in a punk-infused,
pissed off and psychotic hardcore experience akin to RefusedÆs magnum opus or
MadballÆs meatier and more substantial tracks. Arnold and Salvaggio cover
distinctly -core influenced moments of malevolent heaviness (ôImmolateö and
ôBitterö) while still proudly wearing their proclivities towards punk on
their sleeves with ôHell,ö giving them a dynamic appeal further amplified by
their New Yorker roots that adds speed and catchiness to every track.
DownswingÆs ability to fuse hardcore, punk and a bit of other comes to a head
with their vocal effort. Frontman Brett Colvin is able to let loose with a
gritty and crunchy low growlùespecially on ôDiseaseöùyet maintain a somewhat
shrill mid-range yell that serves as his mainstay. This middle range plays to
the more energetic and quick tracks like ôHellö and ôEnough,ö where Colvin
keeps excellent time with the quick, peppy candor of ManzellaÆs drummingùyet
contrast against songs like ôBitter,ö which is the outrageously heavy climax
of Dark Side of the Mind. Here, Colvin makes more use of his range and gives
the daunting, devastating instrumentation room to breathe and beat the living
hell out of the listener. Then, there are songs like ôImmolate,ö which are
absolutely nothing like 99% of contemporary heavy music. With an eerie but
supremely catchy interlude that comes out of nowhere to segue into a spine
shrinking and intense riff-driven breakdown, ColvinÆs work on this track is
surreal and, honestly, defies descriptionùeven in spite of my best efforts.
Dark Side of the Mind is twisted, pissed, catchy and crushing all in one,
truly doing its name proud. More than an Incendiary NYHC rip off, and unlike
just about anything else youÆll hear come out of 2017, DownswingÆs sound is
truly best described as a movementùswingstyle. The fretwork from Arnold and
Salvaggio is laden with filthy and furious riffs speckled by skin-splitting
breakdowns, just as JaredÆs bass and ManzellaÆs drumming provide a murky and
gritty low end that captures the interests of music enthusiasts who are
usually into something a little heavier. Downswing, East Coast Trash,
Swingstyleùwhatever you want to call it, thereÆs no denying that this
Albany-based quintet are here to turn hardcore on its ear, and thatÆs exactly
what Dark Side of the Mind does.
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LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEEE!