Reviews

End Of Days, the new album from the hardcore band Soldiers, is a decent effort that does show that the band itself has a lot of potential to become a mainstay in the hardcore scene. With saying that, however, the album also has a few flaws that hinders its ability to stand out as a great hardcore record. Soldiers, featuring members of This Is Hell, brings forth a good effort here. They deliver the typical Long Island hardcore sound with a tendency to lean towards the heavier side rather than the punk side. This is something that I wasn't really expecting; being a fan of This Is Hell, I thought there would be more speed and sense of attack with this album. Instead, Soldier comes out hard and heavy, laying down a solid base of breakdowns, hard hitting riffs, and punishing vocals.

The album explodes with the track "Even Worse," showcasing a sound similar to bands like Comeback Kid and This Is Hell. Fast and brutal, the track really was a good choice to start the album, because it catches your attention and sets the stage for the rest of the release. However, most of the tracks that follow have a very heavy feel, much more similar to Madball or Sick Of It All. The hardcore chants fuel the very deliberate and devastating design of a very pure hardcore/metal hybrid sound.

With all this going for them, though, Soldiers just weren't able to make enough of the songs distinct so as to really stick out. Too many times bands put out decent albums to which you can listen and then pick the four songs you absolutely love; the rest you don't mind skipping over. In reality, what happens is the album feels short or lacking a full sound because of it. Tracks that stand out to me are "Even Worse," "Choosing Revenge" and "Smoke and Mirrors." After that, everything just sounds a little flat.

This album definitely has some really high points though. It preserves the hardcore sound very well throughout, and even has a pretty fun bonus track that is well worth the listen. Maybe Soldiers can take some time to better develop their identity in the historic New York hardcore scene, because right now they are on the verge but just need a little something more to really get there. Overall, this album will appease any fan of hardcore, and is definitely a sign of better music to come.