Terror

The Walls Will Fall [EP] (2017)

TomTrauma

For 15 years, Terror has been a picture of consistency. You pretty much know what to expect from each new release. That’s not really a bad thing. So many bands struggle to match the quality and intensity of their early material. Terror’s move to Pure Noise added to that label’s eclectic roster of established acts, but did nothing to change their sound. As the old saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Terror has established themselves as the hardcore standard bearer. In some ways it’s hard to believe they’ve only been around for 15 years. The LA/Richmond based band seems like the direct descendant of NYHC bands like Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Madball etc…

The Walls Will Fall is a five song, nine minutes and change EP. You could probably argue that this is the best way to consume Terror. There’s only so much musical variety in this type of boilerplate hardcore, and it’s less obvious in small doses. The EP is mostly fast, but does have ample breakdowns. The guitars sound great, and are loud and in your face. The lead vocals are delivered in a gruff shout, and there’s plenty of catchy shout along choruses too. The title track is the most timely, if it is in fact directed at Trump’s wall. More likely, it’s intended to be interpreted metaphorically as breaking through personal barriers etc…

The rest of the lyrics also stick with familiar hardcore themes like integrity, sincerity and loyalty. “Balance the Odds” starts things off with a song about personal freedom. “Kill ‘em Off”, “No Love Lost” and “Step to You” all seem to be about purging those who are not genuinely devoted to the hardcore lifestyle. You should already know whether or not you’re going to like this. Terror offers few surprises, but has delivered another solid slab of hardcore. If you’re into that sort of thing, and you probably should be, check out The Walls Will Fall.