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Goldust

Destroyer | Borderlines

Written by: PP on 06/04/2010 21:21:57

European hardcore is still alive and kicking despite the commonly accepted idea that its fans are few and far between, usually to be found in tightly wound packs in and around the epicenters of the movement. See Fredericia, Denmark as a great example, or why not also Münster, Germany, the hometown of Goldust, whose new record "Destroyer | Borderlines" is under review consideration here. In comparison to their peers across the continent, however, Goldust's delivery is significantly more metallic in nature, bordering death metal in places, borrowing from Converge elsewhere, finalizing the package with your stereotypical yell-in-your-face, ear-piercing hardcore also known as 'straightforward hardcore' to some.

It is this varied approach that makes Goldust an enjoyable listen as opposed to some of the monotone crap of their countless peers. The intensity levels are sky-high in most songs, meaning that the pedal is floored and no limbs are spared in live environments, but the band contrasts them well with some quieter (relatively, of course), more melodic passages where they slow down in tempo and let the melodies just flow in the background. All of this happens simultaneous to the vocalist's non-stop freight-train hardcore bark at the forefront of their sound. These moments are the highlight of the record, as they'll inevitably bring to mind some of Converge's despair-filled atmospheric moments from "Jane Doe" and why not also "No Heroes". Check out "The Clawed One" for a good example.

While it's true that "Destroyer | Borderlines" doesn't necessarily contain any masterpieces, there are a few solid tracks to lift the band above so many others in the genre, including "Intentions", a technical, definitely Converge-influenced piece lasting just over a minute, "Awareness" with its lead guitar lines, and "Isolation" with it's great drum intro and straightforward-hardcore-approach done well. But on the flip side, the record also sports a number of rather anonymous tracks, leaving me tilting somewhere between 6½ and 7 rating, depending entirely on what track of the record I'm currently listening to. Close call:

Download: The Clawed One, Intentions, Awareness, Coldness
For the fans of: Converge (the hardcore side of the band), Ritual, Black Friday '29, Coliseum
Listen: Myspace

Release date 02.04.2010
Let It Burn Records