CHANGING FACE “Our Last Chance”
Northern California’s CHANGING FACE are the first band signed to the nascent Escapist Records, a label started by one of the people running Scenepointblank.com. These young fellas scratch, claw, and floorpunch their way through seven meaty songs on this debut EP, delivering a solid, though highly familiar, outing of mosh-intensive shouted/screamed hardcore. What CHANGING FACE lack in complexity they make up for with raw intensity and toughness. With only one guitarist, these guys still manage to get their songs sounding vicious and downright mean. Ominous, bulky guitar riffs populate most of Our Last Chance and the band has no trouble dishing out full-on stomps of power and rage, particularly when the shotgun-blast double bass rains down. CHANGING FACE’s vulnerability, however, is in its lyrics which party lean towards the stereotypical hardcore fare of “friends, family and fakeness.” Fortunately, the band has more to offer in “Dead End,” a song that is dedicated to themes of self-reliance and hope in the wake of a world that seems increasing crass. The bottom line – CHANGING FACE currently have all the makings of a strong hardcore band capable of building a sizable local following. Whether they can develop their songwriting and lyrics far enough to become a national player remains to be seen, but Our Last Chance has them off to a fine start.
Escapist
