The golden state of California has been a living and breathing entity for one of the most explosive underground music scenes to emerge within the last couple of decades. The 1980s paved the way for legendary hardcore acts like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys and Suicidal Tendencies to break boundaries and reveal new and refreshing dynamics to this furious sound; providing a huge impact on many aspiring bands to come. As we fast-forward about 30 years ahead, bands like Terror, Trash Talk, Soul Search and Ceremony, to name a few, carry the torch for the Californian scene and introduce well-established innovations to the hardcore sound; reflecting influences from their early '80s forefathers. Currently, another band that deserves to be mentioned on this list is Rotting Out, a band that from time to time, has proven to embrace the true LA sound with every release. With the release of their latest full-length, The Wrong Way, Rotting Out relinquishes an extremely-explosive sound that suppresses their previous release, Street Prowl, on so many levels.
The album's title-track, "The Wrong Way", opens things up with an explosive anthem that is driven with a rally cry to keep your youth tied to heartstrings. With lyrics in this track like, "Too young to die of old age/to young to die the wrong way", and "Some things that I can still live by", contemplate on the conveyed themes of sticking true to things that have once made you feel alive, while refusing to succumb to the pressures of growing old or treading down the 9-to-5 path that is adulthood. When hearing this song for this first time, some listeners' immediate reaction would be that if Rotting Out left their mark in the hardcore scene about ten years ago, this is a song that would definitely get extensive airplay on any Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack.
There are many deeps cuts on this album that convey many furious similarities to their previous full-length, Street Prowl. On the other hand, tracks like "Blade Of Rust" and "A Question" are definitely songs that puts into perspective for listeners the progression from SP and raises the bar a whole different level; with faster riffs, more intense mosh parts and ridiculous chaos to unfold with each track. Another distinct characteristic of Rotting Out's music, that has immediately grabbed my attention since day one, was the brutally-honest recollections that are presented within the lyrical context of their songs. There are many songs on this album listen to on repeat from beginning to end and come to the conclusion that Rotting Out is definitely a band that has poured their blood, sweat and tears into every release. While a heavy song like "Stab" relays a narrative of street violence, "No Clue" is a song that could be championed as a modern-day "Institutionalized". Quite similar to this classic Suicidal Tendencies hit, "No Clue" is a chaotic track that brings forward whirlwind emotions that lash out against those who truly cannot grasp the kind of demons that take control of an individual; and how merely "talking things out" or "letting go" is just not enough to vent out any bottled up frustration.
Overall, from start to end, Rotting Out continues to wave the banner high and proud for the current state of Californian hardcore. What these guys bring to the table with The Wrong Way is another example of a brutally-honest album, lyrically and musically. Even long after the glory days of their early hardcore forefathers, Rotting Out is a band that still holds true the wild chaotic spirit of their precursors.
Tracklist:
1. The Wrong Way
2. Blade Of Rust
3. One More Kiss
4. A Question
5. Stab
6. The Shoot Out
7. Verbal Risk
8. No Clue
9. Roots & Will
10. Three Of Us
11. Bangarang
For fans of: Suicidal Tendencies by Suicidal Tendencies, Pendulum Swings by Expire, Failure by Outbreak
Rating:
Written by Ryan McGrath
