"The true journey begins..."
Stick To Your Guns have been a band for a decade now. And given their newest release True View one can only hope they will stick around for many years to come. Because let me tell you one thing: This record is amazing!
While previous records such as Diamond or The Hope Division put a lot of their lyrical focus on the importance of a positive mental attitude and humanity´s potential for kindness even in the face of overwhelming adversity or negativity, True View is focused on themes such as self-realization and honesty with oneself and the actions that have brought each and everyone of us to where we are now in life. And it is this relatability, this overwhelming urgency that True View conveys while still staying true to its roots as just a ridiculously hard-hitting and relentless Hardcore record that make this record the crown jewel (so far) in Stick To Your Guns´ discography.
Right off the bat, Barnett allows us a (excuse the pun) true view into his mind, by setting off the record with the words "I've gone to hell and back, searching for answers that do not exist." He bares his soul and, in the process, sounds as raw and honest as never before, both vocally and lyrically. And the music laid down by his bandmates carries this raw fury along perfectly.
"Married to the Noise" is a love letter to the Hardcore scene, a place that has been shelter and home for so many of us. But for each and every one of us there comes a time when we put the values and ideals that have defined us into question and we wonder if this scene, this music that we fell in love with all those years ago is still the place we want to be, is still a part of who we are now. Stick To Your Guns reaffirm everything about Hardcore that I fell in love with way back when and they create a reminder of why it is worth holding on to the remnants of our youth no matter how old we might become.
Songs like "Cave Canem“ (by far the heaviest song on the record, with a MONSTER breakdown towards the end) and "Better Days Before Me“ are fast, hard-hitting songs that are guaranteed to be immediate fan favorites at every live show.
While I would not go as far and say that there are bad songs on this record, I have to admit that the second half of the record (apart from "Better Days Before Me“) does not manage to hold up the intensity and quality level that they set up throughout the first few tracks. Some tracks such as "56" or "Doomed By You" simply don't resonate with me as well as the first half of this record did.
One of the highlights of the year for fans of honest, raw, unrelenting modern Hardcore.