Since the Flood

No Compromise (2007)

Jesse Raub

Get ready to bro it up! Get your camo shorts and your black lo-top Chuck Taylors with your XVEGANX black t-shirt. Tat up those arms and show off yer spin kicks! Punch some floors, and then gang up on a dude 'cuz he don't roll with your clan, or group, or posse, or whatever the hell you want to call it. RESPECT!

Since the Flood has got both barrels blazin' on the bro-core front. Just like Earth Crisis before them, they have a bit more in common with Iron Maiden then they do with Minor Threat guitar-wise, but the vibe's still the same as the high school football team that used to give you wedgies for having dyed pink hair.

Examples? Let's look at the lyrics. "From sacrifice comes strength. Strength, what makes a man." "Power, it's mine. You'll learn in time. Justice for them. Move fast. I am revenge." "Every step I take, they'll try, try to bring me down." But don't let those aggro gems turn you away. The band has a softer side too! "What have we become? For all the years spent. Both of our lives touched." "I can't take this anymore, I'm done. Nothing is ever good enough." "The walls are closing in. Goodbye to everything. Separate me, just let me be alone."

Man, I'd make a joke, but this band has beat me to the punchline.

The saddest part is that Since the Flood knows how to write a decent bro-core riff. Their timing, their guitars and drums -- it's all well-polished and not bad to listen to. I can dig some of these grooves. Now, I'm not going to say that they really sound different from each other, but hey -- what the hell, right? It's a formula that many kids are buying.

x(3x + 2y)=xy

Solve for x. Okay, I know, that formula's bullshit. But still, the number of times you have a double-bass kick breakdown versus the number of times you pick it up with a double-time beat. Multiply that by palm muting and divide by drop D bass parts. Add some dude with bloody vocal chords, and you got yourself a CD guaranteed to sell copies to the cliques.

If you like this shit, you'll love this band. If you can't help but pee yourself from laughing so hard at the aggro lyrics, you'll probably hate this shit.