Malcontent is the one-man project of Kevin Anand, most-notably of Chain Rank. Nearly all of the music and vocals here are performed by Anand—Boston hardcore legend Chris Corry does lend some soloing and dive-bombs to the affair. It’s easy to draw the parallels between Malcontent’s project and Violent Reaction, Tim Pimlott’s solo outlet that eventually blossomed into a full-fledged band and has been received much acclaim in hardcore and punk circles. This is not to say that these groups’ musical outputs are the same; while Violent Reaction marry Oi! and punk influences into their hardcore style, Malcontent sticks with paying homage to the heyday of 1980s New York Hardcore. However, like the early Violent Reaction releases, this demo shows a promise and potential that leaves the listener wanting this to (hopefully) be more than a one-off solo release.

The easiest reference one can pick up in Malcontent’s demo is the strong Warzone influence, especially drawing from the formula seen on the NYHC legend’s Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets. The release kicks off with “Hate,” which sets the tone for the entire demo: fast, powerful riffage broken up with mid paced breakdowns that are accentuated with some great drumming by Anand. “Justice For No One” follows suit, ending with a guitar solo from Corry that further recalls Warzone during their prime years but also adds a bit of the current Boston Straight Edge aesthetic produced by bands such as The Rival Mob and No Tolerance. This is not surprising given the people involved, and it is a nice marriage of a modern sound nicely integrated with the classic NYHC sound, keeping the release form falling too far down into the realm of nostalgia. The excellent lead work continues on in the next track, “Forced Words,” combining with some very thrashy/crossover influenced riffs.The demo ends with the breakdown-laden track “You’re On Your Own.”

If you are a fan of well-executed NYHC, this is a worthy release. It is quite heavy on the Warzone influence, but retains some of the current Boston sound that prevents it from sounding tired and derivative. Anand has produced a very promising sound that shows potential, and this is a project worth checking out and keeping an eye out for in the future. Many hardcore fans will enjoy this and will surely be salivating for any future releases given the quality of this demo. Malcontent has the elements in place to perfect their sound and stand amongst the upper echelon of the Boston scene.