Yeah I know this came out 2 years ago, but as mush as I enjoyed 2005s Abode of the Dead I thought I’d give this some props. Plus, I’m not responsible for when stuff arrives in my mailbox, OK

Either way, this slab of crusty, earthy Canadian hardcore with members of In Dying Days, The Black Hand and Ire deserves your ear, especially with the demise of Cursed. With 8 tracks blowing by in a blustery, power chord filled sub thirty minutes of sheer, surprisingly catchy power, Barricades is the perfect workout album.

Admittedly, the album loses some steam after a raucous opening handful of tracks, that really got my attention as by time “Monuments” rolls by, my short attention span is ready to move on. Still, I do keep coming back to the opening tracks like the absolutely rollicking “Ruptured”, “Walled-In”, sneering “Against Us” and diesel powered “Manufacturers of Deceit” and groovy “Come Crashing” as they just flat out fucking rock with a menacing grit and throaty vocals that come together for a complete, combustible package. And while I didn’t get as taken aback by the more retrained, moody last few tracks “Monuments”, “The Arsonist” and “Mind Destroying”, that while displaying a more controlled side just don’t mathc the quality and intensity of the early tracks, the first half of the album makes this a worthy purchase-especially as it can be had on the cheapo two years later.

Short sweet review, short sweet album.

[Visit the band's website]

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