The Rival Mob

Hardcore for Hardcore [7-inch] (2010)

OverDefined

The Rival Mob is currently one of the most hyped bands in hardcore. Their rare shirts are selling for outrageous prices on eBay and the message boards are worshiping their every move. However, hailing from Boston and having members involved with current bands like Mind Eraser, New Lows, Free Spirit and past bands like xfilesx, Righteous Jams, Mental and countless others, it's not really surprising. Having already released a 7" and 12" in the past on Lockin' Out, The Mob is back with its first 7" for Six Feet Under.

Musically, this band reminds me of '80s hardcore, but in a way that doesn't sound deliberately retro. The guitars aren't down-tuned and the production is pretty raw, but not really sacrificing fidelity. Every song is fast and most feature a great catchy breakdown at some point. Over-top, the vocalist uses a higher-pitched yell espousing lyrics that can be understood. There's even quick guitar solos every once in awhile.

Lyrically, the band sticks to surface anger and disgust and seem to be pretty much anti-everything. Annoying people, fake music fans and modern technology all get their turn under the Rival Mob's spotlight. Closer "The Land of the Free" notes, "Welcome to the 21st century! It's killing you and it's killing me. So you'd better pray to your technology… Useless. Mindless. Fucking brain dead." The approach might be labeled juvenile, but in a way that is fun and relatable, again reminding me of the hardcore of the '80s. It doesn't have to always be deep to work and this band knows how to make simple and obvious work.

Naming this 7" "Hardcore for Hardcore" might seem strange on first impression, but it adequately describes this band. Fans of real hardcore are going to eat this up, while people with only a passing interest or who are more interested in metal-tinged hardcore or grindcore aren't going to appreciate this. It's just straightforward, fast and pissed.