“Why must it always come to this as everything falls to pieces?“
Much like their counterparts in the US and UK, the Australia hardcore scene is in pretty good condition, showing that the genre going from strength to strength isn’t confined to either side of the Atlantic. Speed will be the band that spring to mind for most when it comes to its hardcore scene. Yet there is a spread of quality including Iron Mind, Skorn, World of Joy, Threshold and AWOL, the latter now looking to truly put themselves forward on their latest record Tear ‘Em To Bits.
Acoustic guitar lead “LEJOS DE DIOS“, luring the ear in with it’s chords, only to be followed by a straight spin kick to it as track “AWOL” enters. Boisterous vocals from Haynes bark the record into its chaotic rhythm, with their vocal styling likely to see comparisons to that of Brody King of God’s Hate fame. Recent single and title track “Tear ‘Em To Bits” is where the record takes it full hold, groovy riffs from the bass to the guitar are packed into the track and combative lyrics should have a room moving and yelling along to this.
Following track “Kingdom” takes aim at police violence with whipping lines “Who made you the righteous & made you so proud?“. It’s here too where the backing vocals from Williams are heard more from, adding a juxtaposition to the vocal delivery, with them scattered across the tracks Tear ‘Em To Bits. As the record rolls through later tracks “So Many Nights” and “Lost Again“, AWOL continue to stick to their no-holds-barred sound without any dips in curiosity, with the former including a neat vocal hook of “Mi amor, do I ever cross your mind?“.
AWOL have put together a solid record on Tear ‘Em To Bits that will no doubt be embraced by their fellow Australians and within the Melbourne scene they are part of. There is plenty here that those beyond can indulge in, with its punishing sound and hard-hitting moments. The sound AWOL have here, along with the ability that is evident, means that if refined and evolved they could make for an exciting prospect going forward too.
7/10
Tear ‘Em To Bits will release April 26th via Flatspot Records, and can be pre-ordered here.