Album Review: Backtrack - 'Lost In Life'

6 February 2014 | 11:52 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Good, wholesome hardcore.

Backtrack are not a progressive or an experimental band by any means. They do not delve into the realms of poppy choruses, cheap gimmicks, clean vocals, synth melodies, pop covers, nor acoustic tracks. What they are about is having that strong, good ol' fashioned hardcore sound that one can easily two-step, viscously finger point or chuck a mosh to.

The songs aren't overly long, the instrumentation is simple, but tight and very, very tough. Your typical hardcore tempo changes, fast vocal phrasing, and edgy guitar riffs and odd solos are all making an appearance on the quintet's latest offering. Backtrack have never really strayed from their sound, which would probably rock the Long Island mob's fan base to the core if they ever did, but this is a blessing and a curse.

See, from the amped-up, defiant opener, 'Their Rules' to the mosh-pit inducing album closer, 'The Way It Is'; this is a record hardcore junkies will talk about for a long time. But this is also a record many might pass off as 'just another hardcore band with yet another hardcore album'. Unfair and harsh, maybe. But it's also very true. Once you get past the fast sumbitch that is 'Wash Away' and the thrash inspired 'Under Your Spell' you just find variations of the previous tracks.

Thankfully however, one minute, you'll be head banging along to some monolithic grooves, next minute, you'll be starting to think your dinner table would look a lot better with you starting a circle-pit around it. While this kind of diversity is only small, it is welcomed. However, it's unfortunately not quite enough, as this thirty minute mosh-fest does get quite repetitive.

Also, Nick Jett - the drummer for hardcore heavyweights Terror - also produced this album, and as a result, everything feels much more crisp and solid in the mixing department. There are also some guest appearances from members of Down To Nothing, Turnstile and Downpresser, which all add to the overall quality of this album. Die-hard fans of the band (and the genre) will lose their collective minds to this, no doubt.

At the end of the day though, 'Lost In Life' is another great hardcore album from another great hardcore band. 

'Lost In Life' doesn't re-define what hardcore music is or what hardcore in general means, and nor should it be obligated to. What you do need to know however, is that 'Lost In Life' is one of best examples of how good hardcore can be 2014. Go get this somewhat repetitive, yet highly entertaining album in your ears now. 

 

Their Rules

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Wash Away

Lost In Life

Under Your Spell

Nailed to the Tracks

Tortured 

Rot in Your Face

Right This Wrong

Play Safe

Still Searching 

Guilty Conscience 

The Way It Is