When I first heard that an ex-member of Four Year Strong was in this band I sort of associated a certain type of sound with this band since I'd yet to listen to them, and it only took fifteen seconds for that assumption to fly out the window. Foxfires' new EP The Golden Age is old-school punk rock with hardcore undertones and almost immediately turned my living room into a one-man pit.
I'm a big fan of the short-and-sweet approach; let the listener know what your band is good at and do it quickly and loudly. One Coin and It Was A Journey combine to set the tone for the short (8 tracks in under 15 minutes) but strong EP. It's fast, aggressive, dark, heavy, and tough as nails. There's plenty of chugging rhythm parts throughout the record but the heavy, grimy spells that keep me listening. Good Fences, a re-release from their debut EP, is a definite standout based on its intensity alone, cresting in its hook, “Of course we've had regrets, of course we've felt shame! We live this life day by day, of course we've made mistakes!”. It's that same intensity and passion that really permeates from the speakers, like in the best song on the record, Black, White Birch. It's just a banger the whole way through, and though I rarely see gang vocals fit, Foxfires places them perfectly into the bridge of this song.
Although the majority of the songs don't reach the two-minute mark, there are plenty of tracks worth repeating over and over again. Raspy, heartfelt vocals match up with the tough guitar riffs from beginning to end and visions of wild punk rock shows will fill your head. Since I'd never heard any of their material before this EP was a pleasant surprise. And for those of you who liked their debut effort, you now have more material to head-bang to and tell your friends about.
Tracklist:
1. One Coin
2. It Was A Journey
3. Crushed
4. Ticonderoga
5. Black, White Birch
6. Gravity Is Honest
7. Good Fences (Bonus Track)
8. Nostrum (Bonus Track)
Rating:
Written by Felipe Garcia
