I'm getting further and further proof that 2005 really is a rebirth of hardcore. Only, I didn't expect it to be propelled by (presently) virtual unknowns as well, like Above This Fire. The band does the Bane/Comeback Kid-ish hardcore thing, and they do it fairly well.

Like the two abovementioned, they fuel the music with the semi-obnoxious YELLING IN YOUR EAR singing style (though in all fairness, it's never at all annoying here), mostly positive lyrics, and gang vocals, of course, while scattering some screamy, metallic bits here and there. Within the first twenty seconds of the disc you get the idea the band doesn't stray far from their likeminded posi- stalwarts; in "Reaction," Andy Hoffman announces "Today will not leave me in ruins / From here on out, I'll stand my ground / For all it's worth, I'm all that I have." Though the disc pretty much tails off after "Reaction's" following track, "The Deceiver Within," it's fairly consistent and never boring.

For what it is, the band does it well; it's just the usual case where it could be a stronger record with better songwriting and/or more musical ambition. In perspective, however, Above This Fire's debut is both solid and promising, with a future sure to be filled with mic dives and pumped fists galore.

MP3s
Miles Apart
Designing A Requiem