After reading the Haymaker interview in the Downsided zine (www.thrashandburn.net) I was impressed and I thought I should get this one. So when I saw this in Combat Rock Industry's distro it wasn't a hard decision to pick this up...
This is a really good album. Raw, energetic, fast hardcore punk and it surely works. Of course there are some slower parts too. These Canadians have a unique sound, I can't think of any band to compare it to. Maybe RAMBO but this is not even close to it. While listening to the CD while writing this, the song �Should I Care� brings Raging Speedhorn to my mind.
I like the lyrics. They are fueled by honest anger. I think some of the lyrics are kind of like those of Blood For Blood (you know, I Am In A World Of Shit kind of stuff), but without White Thrash. Not political, but they're not just like "fuck all of you" (actually there is a line almost like that), the lyrics got the point and I think some of them are written in a really sarcastic way. That's good because it�s always nice to irritate people who are pissed off easily. They can't go wrong when they sing "Quit your job; kill your boss; light that building on fire; it's easier said than done; but it's nice to dream; every once in a while" And those lyrics surely fit in the songs. Angry music and angry songs with attitude. I'm sold. And the songs have enough variety. So this has everything that a good album needs.
The sounds are really good. There's enough bass, guitar, drums, and vocal sounds. In the Downsided zine, they said their secret is old tube heads from the 60's and early 70's. If you ask me, it works out great.
The song called �Sixteen� became my favorite. The lyrics are about how time went by so fucking fast and that all of us will be old farts sooner than we notice. There is enough bitterness and awesome riffs.
Even if you didn't really get the point from my review, you should check this band out. Haymaker brings some new waves to the punk/hardcore scene around the world and don't you think it's time to get back to what the punk rock was like in the old days?
Tracklist:
1. Believe
2. Sixteen
3. Don't Ask Don't Tell
4. From the Cradle...
5. 35 Years Later
6. Dream No More
7. Life Love Revenge
8. Stressed Out
9. City That Always Burns
10. Don't Want to Know You
11. Burning Chemicals (Nunfuckers cover)
12. What I Mean to You
13. A Million More Dead Cops
14. Another Shit Movie
15. Cameras in the Streets
16. Should I Care?
17. Waxed Curbs
18. Questions & Answers
19. 1460 Days
20. God Can Fuck Hymnself
21. Built to Destroy
22. Tax Attack
23. Who Wants to Kill a Millionaire?
(Don't take that last line too seriously. I'm only 18 so how the fuck do I know what punk rock used to be like in the 80's or something hahahahaha)