There was no bigger, no more influential, no more well known hardcore scene in the `90s than that of Syracuse, New York. And while that statement is at least slightly influenced by the fact that it is my hometown, one cannot dispute the unwavering musical and social influence of Earth Crisis. Plenty of bands changed the musical landscape of the time, but no other band was able to really propel their ideals like the vegan and straight-edge forbearers of Earth Crisis.
In the spring of `96, in light of a van accident that left EC drummer Dennis Merrick unable to play, the remaining members of EC turned to another musical outlet. Joining up with well known vegan and straight edge advocate DJ Rose -- Path of Resistance was born.
Playing no more than a handful of shows between their short run in `96 and `97, and their brief resurgence in 2004 and 2005, it's been quite a while since their last record.
Exploring many of the same themes as their heralded debut, Who Dares Wins, Path uses their trio of vocalists to really drive every point home. Between DJ Rose and the duo of Karl Crisis and Bulldog, the ferocity never once relents. Bringing three different styles, and three different deliveries to the stable, every song is varied enough to keep things fresh and hard-hitting. The anthemic sing-alongs only serve to further drive the message home.
Even to someone like myself, who can't identify with the edge and vegan mantras, plenty of the lyrical content revolves around political and social issues that anyone aware of current events could take hold of and understand. There's messages in this album that anyone can identify with, that anyone can grab hold of and make their own. And the music backing it all -- is just as hard hitting as ever. The riffs never stop pounding, seemingly getting harder and heavier by the song. At no moment do the members of Path waver in their songwriting scope or lyrical convictions, launching a straightforward assault on the mind and the senses at the very same time. Any fan of metallic or old-school hardcore will find plenty of musical moments to grab hold of. "Best of My Best" is a storm of fury, with all three vocalists sharing equal time, and the gang vocals injecting some real energy and vigor into the mix, while "At Full Strength" relies on much more metallic riffing for its raw power.
You don't have to be affiliated with any of the same things Path are to enjoy this record, but for those that are, this is a band that truly has a lot to say about their beliefs. They're a band that 10 years ago, gave kids all over the country something tangible and something meaningful to grasp on to, and now in 2006, they're doing it all over again.