Richmond, Virginia’s Ringer is a modern youth crew endeavor with members from I.C.E. and Holy Land, bringing some of the best mid-tempo hardcore goodness of 2016. The demo kicks off with “The Voice,†ringing and riffing set the stage before welcoming shouts; bouncy, clearly defined drums control the song’s hype level, leading to a group warning, “beat down, get up again, we’ll never let you win as long as we are around,†a unified and steadfast introduction.
The freedom striving “Power†shows off great bass work, murky with capital crunch, dominating the rest of the release, and adding emphasis to stressed vocals, sturdy and resistant. “Knock it Off†is the centerpiece, pressing instrumentals serving up the stomping, spiking call out, “big man, don’t ever look down on me,†confrontational and necessary addressing for the sake of finding place and presence. Finally, “Moxie†ruthlessly strides through frustration, the lashing out, “I’m not crazy, I’m just angry,†accompanied by deep bass lines, cutting the track in half, and ending on a fed up note, one that signifies this is just the beginning.