Hell yea, this is some good hardcore. Any time a band names themself after a DAG NASTY song or album title, you just know the end result can’t be all that bad. CAN I SAY’s “The Last Goodbye” is a five song EP that immediately evokes the spirit of BANE, TOKEN ENTRY, and BATTERY. There’s a good dose of the old old-school, and modern old-school to be found by this Buffalo, New York five-piece. The band’s strongest asset comes from the ruthless, thrashy lead guitar work the permeates through each song. With crafty intros, CAN I SAY do a fine job at tweaking there material ever so slightly as to avoid one 15 minute long hardcore jam. Pushy, urgent, shouted vocals instantly give the band a credible frontman, and the sloppy, though hardly simple percussion further yields a view that CAN I SAY aren’t pre-occupied with polished desires. Positive, reflective lyrics, doused in sing-along madness (and furious gang back-ups) certify this EP as one of the best relatively unknown acts to come across my ears this year.

383 Records