Classic beat down hardcore akin to Hatebreed, Terror, Agnostic Front, and Madball. Where so many bands fail to capture the passion and intensity of those bands, Reign Supreme do not. As their nomenclature suggests, listening to American Violence on your iPod in public may make you want to pull out a creepy crawl in the electronics section of Target (which actually sounds fun), or maybe a pizza maker while driving (which I don’t suggest).

 
 The Sirs
Tight Lines
Psychic Volt

The Sirs sound like The Undertones covering The Dead Kennedys. Do I have your attention now? Good. They’re a Jersey band made up of dudes that have been in other bands, and who have obviously learned hard lessons first hand; now they are applying those lessons to this sweet project. Tight Lines is more rock than punk and sometimes recalls something like what Weston should have progressed into. Here we find The Sirs singing songs about girls, booze, and being insane. You know, the usual. Do yourself a favor and order this 7”. For real.

 
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
Festival Thyme
Richter Scale/Justice Records

The Trail of Dead guys are at it again, teasing us with an EP before the next LP (The Century Of Self) - but if the full-length is half as good as this taste, I really don’t mind. When we last heard Trail of Dead on their fifth record (2006’s So Divided), the album title fit a little too well – divided was exactly how critics felt. Some wanted the controlled chaos they portrayed in earlier albums like Source Tags & Codes and Worlds Apart. So Divided showed the band doing their best Arcade Fire impression and even had them covering Guided By Voices’ “Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory”, adding lush strings and layered vocals. Festival Thyme shows that Trail haven’t forgotten how to be loud (“The Betrayal Of Roger Casement and the Irish Brigade”), but that they still love pop (“Festival Thyme”). The latter could easily fill the background of some new commercial; if it hasn’t by now, I won’t be surprised when it does.  “Inland Sea” is a seemingly shortened version (labeled as the “EP edit”) and I’m looking forward to hearing this track in its entirety – the build-up at the end of the song already has me anxious for more. “Bells Of Creation” is Trail Of Dead doing their best impression of stadium rock, ala The Who. And it takes balls of solid brass to be that ambitious, but they pull it off flawlessly. I anxiously await the LP now. So… Is it 2009 yet?

 
Narrows
s/t
Deathwish Inc.

When I heard that members of Botch, Unbroken & These Arms Are Snakes were forming a band, I began to foam at the mouth. I couldn’t wait to hear what they’d sound like due to their collective storied past.  Ex-Botch front-man Dave Verullen stopped screaming years ago to try out his indie side with Roy, but we all wanted him to sound angry again. Narrows is that band, and the results do not disappoint. “Life Vest Float, Kids Don’t” starts with Rob Moran’s iconic bass tone rumbling into a cacophony of epic proportions. The riffs here have a San Diego punk/core influence, recalling bands like Drive Like Jehu or Angel Hair - both influences earn a happy welcome.  This is yet another 7” that left me wanting more. Something tells me I’ll be seeing their full length in 2009’s year-end list!