The debut full—length from Fullcount starts with an instrumental track showcasing the skills of the rhythm section —— hyper—fast drum fills, melodic guitar harmonies and dynamic bass lines. This band plays super tight. On first listen, I was worried that when the vocals kicked in they would be some whiny emo—core bullshit, but my fears were abated when singer Chris Lehoux finally joined the mix about a quarter of the way through the second track. The vocals strike the right balance between gruff and melodic —— just what this band needs.

The songwriting is really strong throughout the album. A lot of the tracks are Fat Wreck—style punk with a lot of well—placed gang vocals and some metal guitar licks thrown in for good measure. There's a strong Propagandhi influence (aside from both bands being Canadians) but there's enough to differentiate Fullcount from mere imitators; this band has skills across the board.

Standout tracks are "Thin and Loud" and "Worn Soles." Both of these tracks demonstrate the band's ability to blend melodic punk, hardcore and metal and stand apart from the crowd with their technical ability and songwriting skills.

The guitar playing on this album is pretty phenomenal. Some of the riffs and solos are really impressive without just showing off; they complement the songs nicely. Same goes with the drums —— there is some innovative playing that really adds to the strength of the songs instead of being a distraction. The drums also sound great from a production standpoint —— the snare is up front in the mix and the kick sounds really fat and substantial.

If Concessions & Compromises is any indication, Fullcount is a force to be reckoned with. This is a really impressive debut album —— I'm already looking forward to seeing what this band comes up with next.