Bitter End

Illusions Of Dominance

Written by: MBC on 02/11/2015 00:04:51

Released a few months ago on the mighty Deathwish Records, “Illusions Of Dominance” is the new hard-hitting album from Texas-based hardcore outfit Bitter End. The band plays no-nonsense hardcore that mixes old-school New York-inspired grooves with modern, metallic aggression. Deathwish are masters of hardcore and the label is a perfect fit for the band whose explosive presentation contains equal parts Madball, Cruel Hand and Terror. The album is produced by Nick Jett who is the drummer in Terror and a rather prolific studio engineer as well, having worked on projects from Terror, Thick As Blood, Backtrack and other great hardcore acts. He knows his stuff and has provided the record with a crisp, yet raw production that fits the music perfectly.

By no means is “Illusions Of Dominance” a record that revolutionises anything, but it does not need to either. Sometimes it is just better for a band to focus on writing really effective songs rather than trying to re-invent the wheel, which seems to have been the attitude of Bitter End when writing this record. The riffs are fast, the drums are simple and tight and the vocals are filled with anger. Unlike many other modern hardcore bands whose vocalists tend to utilise more brutal metal-esque screaming techniques, vocalist Daniel Rosen keeps it old-school with a more shouty, but nonetheless vicious approach. His delivery is audibly clear most of the time which means a better immediate perception of the lyrics that are obviously pissed off and to the point, such as on “Realm Of Despair”: “Dropping for years, nothing to break the fall, downward into black, downward, cycle of misery”. These are not the most sophisticated lyrics around, but in the succinct nature of the songs, they are exactly what they need to be.

“Illusions Of Dominance” is ten tracks of aggression and groove where old- and new-school approaches to hardcore meet and successfully combine. Looking for a good record to rage to in your room or in the gym? Look no further, Bitter End delivers.

Download: Power And Control, Truth Lies Fear, Realm Of Despair, The Crushing Madness, Sting Of Betrayal
For the fans of: Madball, Cruel Hand, Terror, Agnostic Front, Trapped Under Ice
Listen: Facebook

Release date 30.06.2015
Deathwish

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