Reviews
This is Hell has long been one of my favorite hardcore bands, alongside the likes of American Nightmare, Blacklisted, Dead Hearts, Modern Life is War, etc. When you want to listen to a band that just has intensity pouring out from every angle, you've got to turn to This is Hell. Formed only a few years ago by members of Scraps and Heart Attacks and The Backup Plan, This is Hell is five dudes from Long Island, NY who pull no punches and have some of the most honest lyrics that I've ever heard. On their EP, singer Travis Reilly has a line in a song that says "Apologies to my friends and family for my songs ending up this way. Each word, each line, just a fragment of whatever it is that I was trying to say. If you get one parting gift it's that I carry memories like a bag of bricks." That's pretty much par for the course with all of his lyrics across the board.
One thing I will say about Misfortunes that they probably picked one of the weaker songs to start the album off with. While "Reckless" isn't a bad jam, it isn't the strongest one on the album and I've always been a believer of putting your best foot forward. But after you get through with that song you segue immediately into "Infected," a song that they debuted on their Cripplers 7″. It's textbook This is Hell; pissed, fast, and brutal. In fact if I had to choose three words to describe the whole album, that would be it: pissed, fast and brutal. Some of the surprises on the album were tracks like "Remnants," that had some pretty well developed melodies in them. While they've always been great musicians, they've generally stuck to a pattern for their songs but with Misfortunes, they definitely seem to be thinking outside of the box. You wouldn't expect a lot of the curveballs that they throw you with this record. That's why you have to appreciate them; it's everything you know and love about them while at the same time being a fresh new sound. You can look for variations of all kinds on this record, some heavier chunks, some more melodic chunks, some faster parts, and even though Reilly's lyrics have always been among the best in the genre, even better lyrics.
If you've been into This is Hell since the demo, you've seen them grow in a lot of ways, both in the writing process and in the studio. I think it's pretty safe to say that Misfortunes sounds like the album they've spent the most time producing, which is a blessing and a curse to TiH fans. A lot of kids loved the rawness of their first two records (the demo and the EP) but you can't deny that they hit a whole new level with Sundowning and have risen above and beyond that with their newest effort. For highlight tracks, check out: "Remnants," "You Are the Anti-Thesis," and "Disciples." But I will tell the truth, I'm an unabashed fan of this band, I've loved everything they've done to this point in time and the new album is no different. Misfortunes should easily be up for any magazine's top hardcore albums of the year.
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