The packaging
Terror is a band that seems to put more effort into the look of their releases than the music. The last one came in a metal tin with a die cut booklet. Interesting sure but not functional. This CD had a vinyl top so it looks and feels like a record, but it's just a regular CD. I can't help but wonder how many front loading CD players this thing will jam especially after repeated listens...have you even been listening to a CD in your car and left it in your stereo while you ran into the store on a summer day? I'd bet if you did that with this, you'd have some heavy repair bills. Maybe not (perhaps it's rubber, but even that melts), but I'd be hesitant. The booklet is pretty nice...band photos, lyrics, recording info...all you need.
The music
Well...you gotta love them for consistency. When I was 19, I ate this shit up...now all it does is remind me of the stupidity of the modern hardcore scene. Scott Vogel has been in quite a few bands by this point and I think he peaked in Buried Alive. That band had phenomenal songs, great production, and were a good time. I remember there shows being fun...people being there to see the band and blow off a bit of steam but it was fun. Then you see Terror and you're surrounded by jock assholes...maybe hardcore was always like that and I was blind to it, but I see it now, I'm too old for it, and I'm done with it.
And to be fair...I don't want to condemn the hardcore scene entirely. There are many good people in
Maybe if it wasn't for all the bad press lately where these guys have very violent "fans" and the band seems to not give a shit about it...man if my "fans" were randomly punching people I'd say something about it. But that's the moronic new world we live in. Look around at 18 year olds today, they've, somehow, gotten dumber.
When Scott left Buried Alive I think he just began going through the motions...what else could he do? He's been cool to me but he has a bad reputation, so I'm not sure how well he'd do in the industry...it's either quit music and get a real job or keep drudging along. The music is generic, it's been done countless times and while it's done well, it doesn't grab me.
Millions of people love Oasis because they sound like The Beatles...but man, millions of people fucking hated them because...they sounded like The Beatles. I'm in the same boat...yeah, it's good, fast, aggressive, pissed, metal-free hardcore in the vein of everything else on Bridge 9 Records but I'm at a point in my life where that means nothing to me anymore.
I'm not sure anything in this genre can really appeal to me anymore. I attack bands that change, but the thing is, most bands don't improve when they change...Killswitch Engage is shit now not because they changed but because they're basically an emo band...if they went a more metal route, they may still be decent....when bands don't change at all there's no point...you can say The Ramones never changed, but they sure as hell did...even Motorhead's albums and songs are distinct...but this could be anything being put out these days and 16 year olds karate kicking morons will buy it, go to shows and start shit with people while the band plays..instead of, oh, I don't know, watching the band.
The hardcore scene has become what it was striving not to be.
Okay, well I guess that explains why I won't be going to the next Terror show in the area, but the record...how's the record? Well, it's produced well...I've listened to this around half a dozen times and hoenstly don't really care to listen to it much more. I don't know why, but this really doesn't work for me...everything is there, there's no reason for this not to work...I guess I'm becoming a grumpy old man where nothing that comes out these days is as good as things were when I was younger, but I'll be damned if it's not true.
