“Thought I had a brother, not through blood, but through respect and love.”
Since their debut in 2020 with NO BLAME…JUST FACTS, Pain of Truth have become one of the most beloved hardcore acts while remaining true to the genre. Their New York hardcore style is backed with punching lyrics and ferocious live shows. The burst of excitement that came when “Actin Up” dropped was further evidence to the strong following Pain of Truth have. To build on that anticipation, the unit lined up a stacked full-length including thirteen features, which leaves plenty of intrigue into how it all pieces together.
It’s fierce from the outset as expected on “Lifeless On The Ground“, accompanied by an ear-bursting vocal feature from vein.fm. The big riffs on tracks “In Your Heart” and on “Actin Up” featuring Terror and 200 Stab Wounds respectively, the latter have a swagger and beatdown grooves that make it a force to be reckoned with in live setting. Teaming up with old school New York hardcore unit Madball on “You and Me“, the dual vocal attack yelling “it’s kill or be killed” will be one that will make for something special during a hometown performance.
The flurry of impassioned rage continues on “This Falls On You“, “Too Late” and continues Pain Of Truth‘s run of top sampling on “Picking At Scraps“, throwing in some Seinfeld to open the track. As “Out Of Our Hands“, featuring THEMOVIELIFE, it starts to set how impressively coherent Not Through Blood has felt given the amount features. Not that it was ever seen as a handicap, yet even as the record continues, the curation of such a range of artists to fit together in this succinct manner is commendable.
Imposing closer “Not Through Blood” features two of hardcore’s most impressive acts in Last Wishes and Incendiary. There is an impact here lyrically that seems noticeably more penitent, especially as Brendan Garrone delivers “I’m not here to change your mind, not asking for sacrafice, I said my piece, you didn’t say yours, that’s why you feel so empty“. Last Wishes are the perfect closing to Not Through Blood as a title track and a record, forceful and vehement in their delivery.
Its breadth of features give it nuance that makes repeat listens rewarding and fresh. Underlined by their earnest hardcore style, it’s difficult not to just enjoy what Pain of Truth have offered up here. There is a something-for-everyone aspect to Not Through Blood that should pull listeners in, and should have them finding Pain of Truth as one of the top acts going.
8/10
Not Through Blood is out September 8th via DAZE Records, and can be pre-ordered here.