Until The End
The Blind Leading The Lost
6.3
Until the End formed in 2000 with the idea of bringing straight-edge hardcore to the Florida scene. Back then, the band was something of a supergroup, featuring members of Poison the Well and Remembering Never. Fast forward to today, and the players have changed quite a bit. The core of bassist Dan Mazin and guitarist John Wylie remains intact (and ironically, are the head honchos of Eulogy Records), while a cast of lesser-known musicians have stepped in, from bands such as Against All Authority, The Judas Factor, and All Hell Breaks Loose. The changes haven't affected the band much, though, as they still sound pretty much the same.
I’m no fan of the straight-edge lifestyle or belief system, but I am a fan of the New York style of hardcore over the emo-laden variety. That’s one positive point here – no whiny vocals, just straight up hardcore in the vein of Hatebreed, Agnostic Front, and Sick of it All. So, we have mosh worthy verses, sing-along choruses, and kung-fu-fighting breakdowns. It’s just too bad there really isn’t a whole lot else below the surface to set them apart from the legions of other bands playing this style. It’s one of those cases where you’ll either feel a connection or not, or simply write them off as a clone, as is the case with a lot of second-tier bands in any genre.
Me, I’d have to say I feel a slight connection, and I do like this album. As I said, this is the style of hardcore that I enjoy, and Hatebreed is one of my favorite bands, so for me it’s hard not to get into this band. “Prove You Wrong”, “Total Control”, “Cold Blood”, and “Traitor” stick out for various reasons, usually a particularly catchy chorus or breakdown. These guys have the chops, it would just be nice to get more out of them, leaving a bigger boot-print on the face of the hardcore scene.
