No Friends

No Friends (2009)

writethatbitch

A fine first effort from supergroup No Friends, which is comprised of Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta on vocals and New Mexican Disaster Squad's Richard Minino (drums), Sam Johnson (guitar, vocals), and Alex Goldfarb (bass, vocals). These tunes might sound more familiar to New Mexican Disaster Squad fans -- while it's nothing super unique, this album offers some quality hardcore with melodic tendencies. While Municipal Waste might fuck you up, No Friends will simply get you to bounce around, sing along, pump your fist and have a lot of fun.

After a few spins, I've come to appreciate the lyrics and vocals most of all. While they're not all the most ingenious, they're not to be taken lightly as they challenge our society. Addiction to material possessions is denounced in the aptly named "Material Addiction"; "Loaded Question" confronts political figures and their agendas; and "Never Ending Fight" describes an ending relationship.

Vocals are mostly angry shouts from Foresta with more melodic backups from Johnson and Goldfarb. The dynamics in vocals match the music on this album. The fast drumming and riffs push through the whole album accompanied by prominent basslines, giving off the apparent '80s hardcore feel, until a breakdown brings a more mid-tempo and melodic vibe to the table. The basslines stick out during the entire album as almost every breakdown stems from a bass solo. The musical attributes brings Paint it Black's CVA to mind, but No Friends maintains a distinct quality, especially through lyrical style.

The dynamic sound here will pave the way for a wide fanbase. For fans of: Black Flag, Dillinger Four, Paint It Black, Descendents.