Stallone

Mire

Written by: PP on 08/01/2014 00:29:14

A few months ago when a copy of "Mire" by the UK-based Stallone arrived in our inbox, it was touted as "one of the most impressive debuts in a long while", which naturally piqued my interest. Sure enough, from the opening moments of "As A Serpent", it is not difficult to understand why people immediately gain a distinct impression on the band. Like an uncontrollable freight train, their brand of raw, vicious hardcore punk crashes in your direction with little chance of stopping, utilizing the particularly coarse scream of their vocalist as a driving force that gives the record its resounding urgency overall.

But unlike Converge and other aggressive/chaotic hardcore bands, "Mire" consistently maintains a subtle melodic backdrop to the insanity, allowing songs like "Without A Home" to race by at unruly aggression levels without losing the listener in the progress. Much of this has to do with the technical flair with which the riffs are delivered, leaving a fairly recognizable imprint in your mind after each song is done. There's even room for atmospherics as "Nailed Myself To The Cross" so well demonstrates halfway into the song, which is good because it allows the listener to make sense of things. Converge records, while great in their own right, can be challenging listens for the unsuspecting fan, and although "Mire" isn't exactly novice-friendly either, at least Stallone have written enough solid riffs to avoid descending into dissonant chaos. "They Drew" is one example where mathcore-esque stop/start rhythms push the band into anonymity, not because it's a bad song but because there are simply a lot of bands doing this very style much like them. So while "Mire" is indeed a decent album, it's still missing something that'd elevate it into even footing with the genre heavyweights.

Download: As A Serpent, Without A Home
For the fans of: Gallows, Palm Reader, Pariso
Listen: Facebook

Release date 07.10.2013
Tangled Talk Records / Enjoyment Records

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