Lucky Luciano
Carry On
6.1
Hardcore…everyone’s new favorite style and the latest, all-purpose whipping-boy for the “serious” metalhead. It goes without saying that the hardcore of today bears only the slightest resemblance to the initial hardcore outbreak of the 80’s, but that’s another discussion for another time. Detriot’s Lucky Luciano claims to break the stereotypical metalcore mold with this release. Do bands ever live up to this claim? Usually not, and this time isn’t much different. Carry On is a five-song EP of metalcore in the typical American style: pretty brutal vox, lots of buildup, some emotion, and enough breakdowns for the whole class to share. I’m reminded of Nehemiah, at least in terms of mood and pacing, although LL don’t really share the Gothenburg influence. The vocals are a high point, as they trade off between the standard metalcore (think Unearth or Heaven Shall Burn) screams and a gruff, growled bark. Naturally, there are a few scattered spoken-word lines.
Carry On is reportedly self-produced, and if so, nice work. For a home job, this came out just how I envision it was meant to sound. The mix sounds a little rougher than you’d hear from a big-name studio, but the intimacy of the mix doesn’t detract from the album. The title track gives you a good taste of what’s to come. After a promising start, things get a little hectic until the marathon breakdown begins. One other interesting aspect that first arises in this song is the tendency to finish off every chunky riff with some soft of melodious flourish. “It’s Not Over” features a small dose of that old hardcore feel, before they devote the rest of the song to the guys in the pit. “In Vein” gets very intense around 2:30, while “Vaccination” is solid throughout, especially when they slow it way down to get brutal on your ass, even if half the song seems like a buildup for the last 10 seconds.
These Motor City boys should interest the diehard metalcore freaks who really go nuts for the underground, local scene material. They’ve got the style figured out, with a fair mix of melody and raw, crushing heaviness, but the song construction leaves something to be desired. A little more experience and a few more songs under their belt wouldn’t hurt, although I still imagine that they can whip up a pretty ferocious pit.
