Scene vets keepin' it real
New York's Merauder, who were a part of the forefront of the metalcore wave of the early 1990s, finally deliver their long awaited third album Bluetality. With the current trend of metalcore bands such as Hatebreed, the return of one of the genre's pioneering bands can only be a good thing to feed the scene.
Utilising Billy Milano (S.O.D./M.O.D.) at the controls, the line up that recorded their previous album returns with the exception of Dave Chavarri (Ill Nino) filling in on drums temporarily. The ten tracks here don't vary too much from a mid tempo, metal sounding rhythm section with hardcore vocals. The lack of variation isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it removes any element of surprise. The songs themselves are heavy which matches the lyrical theme of the album, police brutality. The track 41 Shots deals with excessive police force and citizens taking some of that power back whilst No Warning is about how much the police force controls decisions such as whether we live or die. If this album has a weak track, it's the closer Underground Girl. No, it's not a Blondie cover. But it is a weak sounding hardcore pop song if nothing else and sadly it leaves an otherwise solid album finishing up quite flatly.
This is a no nonsense, no surprises return from one of the genres originators. It's a heavy sounding, consistent album overall and a worthwhile listen for those who think Hatebreed created metalcore.
(Century Media/Shock)
