THE DEDICATION “Youth Murder Anthems EP”
Despite the decidedly not “posi-core” title to this debut EP, THE DEDICATION have quite a lot to offer in the vein of awaking the spirit of early 80s hardcore. In other words, this is 100 times more in the vein of VERBAL ASSAULT than say, EARTH CRISIS, and honestly, thank goodness, as we sure don’t need another metalcore band. Right from the get-go, “Youth Murder Anthems,” drops a speed bomb on the public at large, taking hold with a thin yet rambunctious guitar sound, and headless chicken-like screaming vocals. Stylistically, this sounds a bit dated, but every now and then, these guys bust out a double dose of dynacism and throw an entire song’s core elements into a fuzzy mess. Maybe that’s because this drummer sounds like he’s playing with arms on fire or something. Lyrically, THE DEDICATION’s songs are of the deeply personal variety and a few of the songs strike me as reminiscent of what CONVERGE does so well. Speaking of CONVERGE, Jacob Bannon did the stunning artwork featured here, and although the starkness and simplicty of the design may make it seem that it wasn’t quite a big geal, the cover and overall package looks very rich. My only complaint is that the production is more weak than not, and turning up the volume only makes the vocals more “in your face.” A stablike start for a promising band.
Deathwish Inc.
