In the Face of War
We Make Our Own Luck (2006)
Brian Shultz
In the Face of War's We Make Our Own Luck is a pretty solid example of how ambitious otherwise atonal youth crew hardcore can be. Take raspily yelled but comprehensible vocals, a steady aggression, forward-thinking melodies and an unrelenting urgency and you got yourself a lot to like.
We Make Our Own Luck unfortunately does not produce many standout songs, but that's mostly because it's so consistent. It's easy to get behind the album track after track, many of which get splashed with that more reflective type of guitar riff that somehow sounds emotional -- you know, the type Turning Point suddenly decided to employ for their last stylistic change. Actually, the lack of standouts is a bit of a lie; Luck is desperate-sounding enough as it is, but "Here We Are, Here and Now" just mixing up the lead vocals gives it that extra boost. Plus, things always sound frantic when the bass drops out.
More examples of In the Face of War's strive for something a little more creative than what their peers usually come up with appear in songs like "Revival," with some wandering guitar parts actually momentarily reminiscent of bands too experimental to even be labeled hardcore (Since by Man, complimentarily looking your way). "What a Shame" sounds plenty intricate too, even while maintaining a rigorous tempo and attitude.
At least according to Jordan, In the Face of War used to play a more emocore-meets-tech-skatepunk type of punk rock. If that's true, their progression is certainly a bit odd; however, it seems they've retained that type of complexity and dropped it into a genre usually sorely lacking, and it's resulted in quite an impressive little album.
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Who Will Be There
Revival