Reviews

This Connecticut four-piece, now a five-piece, pay more attention to the arrival of guitarist and producer Charles Chaussinand than to the rest of the band. But on this 11-minute EP, the real star of the show is vocalist Danielle Allen, who shows that she is able to hold her own in the male-dominated world of hardcore. The first song, "Taking It" is the clearest example of her power, which seems to diminish on each proceeding song.

As the band state in the liner notes, the odds were against them with this record, as their guitarist left right before this EP was to be recorded. But the band thank Chaussinand for stepping in, writing the songs and playing both bass and guitar on the record. While his bass playing, particularly on "War of Choice," is impeccable, his guitar playing is the same on almost every song. His lyrics, on the other hand, are really, really good. Take "Pointless" for example, which talks about living a life and working a job that doesn't really seem right. This band seems to be on the right track lyrically but needs to differentiate itself musically from other hardcore bands.

Luckily, the recording is short but it's also a deterrent because Danielle Allen has such a strong voice, it's a shame that you can't hear more of it. But the lack of focus overall takes this band down a few notches. Sure they have probably idolized fellow Connecticut band Hatebreed, but it's time to add more to the scene than just female vocals.

Overall, this record is pretty good, but it will be interesting to see what the band has up their sleeve for their next full-length when they write their own songs and develop more of their own personality.