Grimace

Although this may be Grimace's first proper full-length album, in that this is the first album of theirs to be done in the studio and then released on a wider scale, this shows signs of a band that not only deserves to be bigger than they are -- this proves that they very well could be the next great hardcore punk band.

Earlier in 2006 Grimace released The Worst 40 Minutes of Your Life: Live from the Heritage Complex and it was a huge step forward. It contained songs from their previous EPs (some of which are recreated on this album) and some of which were brand new. This album contains only ten tracks, which seems rather short considering the aforementioned live album contained eighteen songs. Although this is only slightly over 17 minutes long, it contains something lacking in today's music world: passion. The lyrics are also very insightful and thought-provoking. Songs such as "Assembly Line" and "No Profit" conatin some of the best lines I've heard in a long time.

Although this album is one of the best hardcore albums I've heard in a long time, there are some flaws. For starters, its length, which I addressed above, and of course production quality. Let's face it, almost all punk bands that are just starting out have bad quality, so yes, it does follow suit in that area. Another complaint is one that not many of the readers on this site will have, at least I don't think. I've been listening to these guys for some time, and have some of their older EPs and the live album, so I've heard a good amount of these songs previous to my purchase. It takes me out of my comfort zone after hearing a song one way for so long, and then all of a sudden it's been re-recorded and it just seems foreign. The songs still sound amazing, but it is just odd hearing these songs done differently the first few times.

I would highly recommend everyone to check out these kids because it would be well worth your time. If you want to hear good, honest hardcore played the way it should be cough up the five bucks and listen to some of the best music you'll hear in a long time.