InvadeInvade is a hardcore band from Long Island, NY who offer far more to the listener than the typical hardcore band. Not to often does a band come along that not only grabs you as a hardcore kid, but as a person as well. I was completely unaware of this band until the band sent me this magnificent 7 song EP. The first thing that came to mind while listening to this was Palehorse, not so much musically but lyrically. Albeit they don't speak on globalist or the illuminati, but they are equally intelligent with what they have to say, and they are informed and articulate in their delivery. These guys don't preach, they just present you with the ideas so that you can break them down on your own, whether it's religion, politics or philosophy. I mean just check out some of these lyrics..."Our rites of passage waiting around every corner of men and women-made at eighteen. But are we to be damned for being aimless in our twenties? And question a life of profit? Only to live long enough to die in it? A life lived should not be a life spent." (taken from "The Beast that shouted ‘I' at the heart of the world") I can't get enough of this stuff. Another great thing about this band is their musical side is just as interesting. They are hardcore through and through, the brands of 90's hardcore they are influenced by shine through. Everything from the more metallic approach of Indecision to the straight forward attack of Bold and everything in between. The songs range in length, anywhere from a 1:30 to 3:30, and let me say, that at no point throughout any of the 18 minutes of music did I feel myself getting bored.
Considering this thing was recorded in a mere two days, likely on a low budget, this thing sounds great. The recording has just the right amount of grit and dirt with just enough polish to let this baby shine. The first thing that jumped out at me is how great the bass sounded, utilizing some heavy use of treble and/or overdrive. I would've liked to hear some more muscle on the guitars though, they still have good crunch to them but aren't as full sounding as I'd like. The drums have good tone to them, a nice dense, crisp sound compliments the bass nicely, making for a great rhythm section. The vocals are right on the money, ideally placed in the mix for maximum listen ability. The layout is that of a demo, it came in a nice multi-textured print out sleeve. The cover features a picture of a solider, back against the wall, with the bands logo going vertically up the cover. The front than folds out, unveiling a warning logo similar to a parental advisory sticker, stating, "WARNING, It's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." Real good shit. A lyric sheet is included as well, which is essential because what this band has to say is worth, not only listening to but reading as well. To really get a good grasp of what the band has to say you have to read it too. Hopefully a wise label will step in and get this thing packaged the way the band had intended to and get them out there for kids to hear. If only every band had something as worthwhile to say.
Rating: 5/5
Songs worthy of replay: Every single one of them, fucking gems...The Beast that shouted ‘I' at the heart of the world, Palette of the Bullshit Artist, Christicillin, Profit vs. Prophet, Interlude, Pawn to the Bishop, The Riveter, On the back of every pole/On the side of every wall.
Thesis: Since adding the core suffix to everything is cool, I'll call this ThoughtProvokingCore.Harder than most hardcore bands and more intelligent than 99% of the bands in hardcore. This shit is quality. These guys don't have a website yet, so in the meantime check them out at myspace.com/Invade.