xRepresentx
True At All Costs
5.2
This album is more than just predictable. I mean, I feel like I made this album during a dream, or an extremely productive sleepwalking episode, and sent it to MetalReview headquarters, only to have it later creep across my desk. Honestly, I already know this album back and forth, and I'm only half-way through it.
So, it's hardcore. xHardcorex. Not metalcore. Not post-rock dressed as hardcore. Not neo-classical wank-core with off time breakdowns played by 17 year olds. So, it gains massive amounts of points for purity alone. These songs are simple as a matter of necessity. xRepresentx are probably going to play these songs live every night on tour for months at a time, and their fans are going to beat the shit out of each other to it. I'm positive they won't be concerned about the lack of nuance or dynamics. These songs serve their purpose. If you're a metal fan, then this probably won't appeal to your sensibilities. If you're a hardcore fan, it will
Lyrically, True at all Costs is just fucking brilliant. I'm pretty sure the singer for xRepresentx shouts "WHAT THE FUCK!?" or "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" at least once in every song. And of course, these philosophical entreaties to the heavens are always followed by a massive breakdown. And, as much as I'd like to write this off as underwritten, knuckle-dragging crap, I can't. I've heard all these riffs before and I've been kicked in the nuts by pit-ninjas to the tune of all these breakdowns. So, while the band isn't anything new, they are doing things the right way.
Here it is. It's one to two minute songs made up of a few chunky, punk based riffs, open note breakdowns, and barked lyrics about purity and friendship. Sounds dumb. It is dumb. But I still pumped my fist at my computer a few times during this album, and if I didn't already have ten that sounded just like it, I'd probably buy True at all Costs.
