“We’re all owned by the type of people that we don’t know.“
Highway Sniper since their debut in 2022 with Great Hits still remain a relatively fringe unit despite containing every element to be a successful group. The project is the brainchild of George Lucarelli, accompanied by vocalist Skylar Sarkis, who puts forward politically-charged and forceful lyricism. With The Great Satan, Highway Sniper release their third EP in the span of two years. While it is not unusual for hardcore bands to have a quicker release cycle than many of their genre counterparts, this will be their first released outside the confines of lockdown. And with this, Highway Sniper have put together not only their best EP to date but arguably one of the best hardcore EPs of this year.
The Great Satan’s crux comes at the listener fast out of the record, opening with a sample criticising American’s foreign policy and its fallout. It’s also where the EP derives its title from, declaring America “The Great Satan“. The visceral vocal delivery along with the well-written lyrics on tracks such as “Mission Accomplished” and “Cycles Of Pain” present a deep and thoughtful understanding of the topics at hand, matched with the human anger that comes with them. The latter of the two tracks presents the parallel between the two sides of the conflict in the Middle East, and how we’re all victims of the oppressive machines of imperialism and capital forces.
Later track “Two Gods” dives into the forced displacement of Palestinians, displaying a breadth of knowledge and understanding that records seldom do. “The Sacred Concept” brings the EP into the modern day, opening with a sample of current US president, Joe Biden. What takes places is a full attack on the modern state of America and the contents of the sample itself. The lies and deceit of war and promises of a better tomorrow are laid out bare with lyrics such as “A case for war so overplayed, it’s Christmas music no one’s phased“, before closing out with “Another Stop Work Order canned the latest nation-building plan“. Strong themes are tackled openly across the entire EP, backed by crunching riffs that are familiar to the hardcore scene.
The Great Satan presents something so stark it is difficult not to have its contents leave an impression. 2022 has offered up many political releases, including Stick To Your Guns, Ithaca and Cage Fight, and Highway Sniper here deserve to be held in a similar regard. Not only is there plenty to relate to and find catharsis in, but also the potential to learn and expand one’s political understanding from the lyrical content. With an amped-up and crisper production on the EP too, The Great Satan is a must listen for those who associate themselves with hardcore.
8/10
The Great Satan is out July 27th via Smartpunk Records.