Since 2002, Houston-based Hardcore
band, Die Young released around 10 bursts of metallic crunch
concluding with 2008's “Loss” EP and what was more or less, the
equivalent of a “Best Of” album, “Through The Valleys In
Between”. The band went on hiatus in 2009 and played their last
show that October much to the dismay of their legion of fans around
the world. However, in October of 2013 the band announced that they
were back. “Chosen Path” is a triumphant return indeed, in spite
of the long absence, Die Young has not missed a step.
The EP's opener, “Enter” starts
with an ominous acoustic guitar riff, culminating into a slow, heavy
groove that brings to mind the early 90s Hardcore that my inner 15
year old finds absolutely irresistible.
Oh, who am I kidding? I'll be blasting
stuff like this into my 80s.
Next is the “title track”, a 2 and
a half minute blast of Thrash Metal riffing, classic Hardcore
breakdowns and even a couple tasty guitar solos in the mix. So far
I'm really enjoying how this is shaping up. Vocalist, “White
Devil”, sounds like anger personified, a perfect compliment to the
punch-a-stranger-in-the-face riffing on display here. There is no
sign of easing off on the next song “Conditioned” either, 90
seconds of brutality, just how I like it. Perhaps it is this same
unrelenting ferocity that has seen Die Young “held suspect” in
Malaysia, banned from Canada (twice) and denied entrance into
Romania; surely they sound absolutely terrifying to those unfamiliar
with the metallic arts.
“Incremental Gains” starts with a
crunchy, “open up this fuckin pit” riff before breaking down
during the verse, firing up the circle pit in the latter half of the
song and transitioning into a chugging metal riff to wrap it all up
in a nice big, angry bow. Again, this is over the course of about 90
seconds. The next track, “Rite of Passage” is almost full-on
Thrash Metal at times, go ahead and try not to circle pit in your
living room. Good luck with that. The EP's closer “Return to the
Earth” wraps things up quite nicely with more mosh-worthy riffing
and another brief solo for good measure. Over the course of these 6
tracks, not much changes, but this isn't a bad thing in this case.
Sometimes it's slow, heavy and somewhat groove-laden, at other times
it's blazing fast and certain to incite frenzied moshing. Honestly,
what more do you what from a Hardcore EP, a 30-piece orchestra?
Whether you've completely missed out on
this band so far or are a die-hard fan, or just heard that one song
on that Tony Hawk game, you should definitely get yourself acquainted
with Die Young. One part late 80s/early 90s Hardcore, one part Thrash
Metal and one great big, heaping portion of pissed off.
Check them out on their Bandcamp page.
UPDATE: This EP is now available for streaming over at Toxicbreed's Funhouse. You can also visit Headfirst Records to pre-order the 7".
Interesting band
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