| ||
Track Listing: Rated: Total Play Time:  |
A fact that I’ve been forced to resign myself to in these days of faux tough-guy metal-core and wimpy emo foolery is that it’s a rare band indeed that can skillfully and effectively meld that which I’ve always loved about classic hardcore punk with that which I’ve always loved about heavy metal. I’ve always been one to contend that the relationship between punk and metal is fraternal, much to the chagrin of many a metal purist doing their best to distance the music they love from a music they dislike and thus misunderstand. By sheer smile of the angry music gods I’ve been shown the direction to Finland’s Vald, who erased all of my apprehensions about modern punk/metal hybrids nearly instantaneously with their latest album “Boycott Your Life.”
“Boycott Your Life” is a near perfect album. Why it is that Europeans can so successfully blend the ethos, soul, and musicality of what was essentially an underground American musical phenomenon (hardcore punk) with a somewhat modern form of heavy metal, when the best we can come up with is God Forbid, As I Lay Dying, Atreyu, Between the Buried and Me, Underoath, etc. etc. etc. is simply beyond my comprehension. Perhaps we’re just trying too hard to get a video on the Mtv and a spot on the sounds of the underground tour, while Vald is hell-bent on spreading the anarchy, and baby, they’re spreading it on thick. This is the angriest album I’ve had the pleasure of hearing since Venomous Concept’s “Retroactive Abortion” and it handily tops that album’s considerable quality. “Vald” apparently means violence in Finnish, and a more fitting name for this band simply does not exist in the admittedly limited scope of human language. Musically “Boycott Your Life” can be compared to the numerous ‘crossover’ thrash bands of the 80’s like Cryptic Slaughter, D.R.I., Hirax, and Suicidal Tendencies, but this album easily makes those bands sound quite tame in comparison. Here, thrashing riffs combine with anarchic lyrics to create a fury of anti-society based rage and apocalyptic pessimism that has been missing from heavy metal for far too long. Vald is anti-fashion “Fuck Fashion”, anti-religion “Waiting for the Angels to Cry”, anti-war “War”, and anti-establishment “Revolution”. Lyrics are sparse yet acerbic, whether delivered in a gruff bark, or a maniacal high pitched scream, and the songs are all short and to the sharpened point. Somewhat surprising here is the tightness of the execution. Bands of this ilk are generally forgiven a certain amount of technical sloppiness, but this simply is not a factor here, as the musicianship is of a very high level of proficiency. The production is exceptionally clear for what is essentially a self-financed D.I.Y. affair, yet the sleazy crustiness of the music doesn’t suffer in the least. “Boycott Your Life” is the type of no-frills middle finger to the music industry that makes my jaded ex-flag burning heart weep with joy. It makes me want to drink, and it makes me want to fight, and it is definitely one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. If you like classic thrash metal, or classic hardcore punk, you will most definitely enjoy this album a great deal. I’m making it a personal goal of mine to seek out Vald’s evidently difficult to obtain debut album “Apoplexia Cerebria” because after quite some time searching, I’ve finally found a band that’s doing things right. | |
