No Turning BackOver the last 11 years, No Turning Back has made quite a name for themselves around the globe. Shit, I would go as far as to say they are the Terror of Europe, although that may be a bit of an insult because these guys have been at it longer than Terror.
They have never been a hardcore band hellbent on trying to break the mold and experimenting, they are very content with delivering quality mid 90's metallic hardcore.
On their 2006 release, "Holding On" the band had a bit more metallic influence in their song writing. On this release however, they have placed more emphasis on groove which helps to keep the energy level up. They did not shed all of what they did on "Holding On", however, there are still plenty of dance parts to get the floor moving. There are also plenty of mid paced parts to get your feet stomping as well. Also, the vocals have changed slightly, they seem a bit more natural this time around. Without question the vocal performance by Martijin is one of highlights of this release.
Even though this kind of hardcore has been done to death over the last decade, when a band does it good it is still enjoyable and it's even more enjoyable when the band doing it has been around for that decade.
During the 31 minutes of music that is spread over the 14 tracks that range from :32 to 4:15 and everywhere in between, there are no lacking moments. Whether it's a faster verse, mid paced chorus or violence inducing breakdown these guys deliver time and time again.
Tattoo artist Bas Kahle who did the artwork for "Holding On", is back again with a similar layout. For me that's good news because I always love tattoo influenced artwork and Kahle has always managed to impress me. The packaging is stellar; the album comes in a slick, gloss slipcase with a sweet 6 panel foldout poster that displays what the front cover of the slipcase hinted at. On the other side of the foldout are the lyrics and a nice band photo placed in the middle.
Rating: 3.8/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Same Sad Song" & "Found My Way"
Synopsis: These guys are one of the best and there's certainly good reason for that. Yes, this is the same type of hardcore that has been churned out one release after another but this shit is done gooood. Awesome songs, visually pleasing layout and terrific recording and mastering make this a CD worth adding to your collection.
Don't take my word for it, be the judge yourself!