Saying Seasick plays good, ambitious and intelligently-minded hardcore would perhaps be a bit of an understatement. Not quite completely stooped in `80s hardcore, nor completely immersed in thrash, Seasick instead take bits of both plus a slightly cleaner, modern production to create an impressive, original and refreshing take on it.

Awakenings is a pretty-looking 10" with an absolutely disgusted attitude displayed on it, railing against apathy, greed and religion -- and its very own middle-class-privileged bitching it puts forth ("of course I recognize the irony complaining when I'm in contrast free / at least I acknowledge my status as white male member...") in SAT form ("pray for salvation / consecrate annihilation in spiritual determinism / deliver us from our moral obligation"). Bookended by "Myths of the American Meritocracy Pt. 1" and the instrumental "Ashes, Ruins, Forward Sails," both with their own prolonged moments of bold, guitar-anchored restraint, in between is Nick Laskowski's rambled, scratchy singing, fitting as many syllables into each line as possible, and a sickening number of stop-starts and blazing solos.

Seasick strike a wonderful balance of classic influences like Black Flag, Negative Approach and Infest on Awakenings that makes for one of the definite standouts in its genre this year thus far.

STREAM
Illusions, Michael
Horizon