Milwaukee’s GET RAD have a lengthy ex-member pedigree that spans the spectrum of punk and hardcore in every kind of direction. So it’s kind of it humbling that after all of the other musical experiences, the band members have focused on playing wickedly fast, old-school hardcore that could have come straight from the shelves of Dischord’s earliest releases (and I’m not surprised to learn that the band has covered MINOR THREAT’s “Guilty of Being White” at their shows). GET RAD vocalist Kevin Herwig (former guitarist for SINCE BY MAN) has an agile voice that’s surprisingly similar to SICK OF IT ALL’s Lou Killer, but not as dependent on the rhythm section’s moves in terms of cadence. For the first eight songs (maybe 10 minutes long, in total), I Can Always Live is a tornado of surging guitars and blitzing percussion. The band just doesn’t slow down. A moment to catch your breath comes on the well-developed track “No Easy,” where a bass intro kicks things off and the song incrementally builds up into a molten shout-along. The whirlwind revs up again, only pausing occasionally for circle-pit inducing tempo jerks. The back to back tandem of “The Blame Game” and “Back Home” show off the band’s musical chops, which may be understated in the intentionally raw recording style. GET RAD drummer Ben Davison nails one fill after another with stunning speed and accuracy and he plays a big part in how the band molds its momentum, which is decidedly different than letting guitars chug to no end or run amok with a toolbox of dolphin squeals. After five years as a band and a steady stream of power-packing releases, I Can Always Live stands to be the band’s best shot at a hardcore breakout just yet…

Gilead / Hyperrealist