Die Young – No Illusions


 

die young cover ghostcultmag

Everything is bigger in Texas,” the saying goes. Now, I don’t know about the size of the gentlemen of Texas outfit Die Young, but what I do know is that they are not messing around. As no-nonsense as their message, their newest effort No Illusions (Good Fight Music) starts off swinging a few fists. With their Bolt Thrower-like mix of hardcore and thrash, they take no prisoners.

Before reforming and dropping the record, the band released the single ‘Providence’. In an interview, vocalist Daniel Albaugh said that ‘Providence’ is about preferring a chaotic universe to a universe led by one – sadistic, according to the Old Testament and Albaugh – God. The rest of the record also points to a very anti-theistic message, from the title of the album (No Illusions) to songs like the very sarcastically titled ‘God’s Promises’.

The song Providence itself, in terms of sound, is very reminiscent of a young Hatebreed. Aggressive, no-nonsense, no fancy riffs, just honest hardcore. The slowed-down intro gets the listener amped up for the violence yet to come. With a commanding shout they kick the song into a higher gear, ready to fire up a mean mosh pit.

After ‘Providence’ the album barrels on like a semi-truck, floating between almost Slayer-like thrash and classic Knuckledust-, Blood For Blood-style hardcore. In some songs, like ‘I Repent’, they mix the thumping hardcore backing, with a warp-speed thrash metal shred solo. The two genres go together quite nicely, forming an audio barrage of pure aggression.

However, No Illusions does not really stand out for me. Most of the songs are quite interchangeable, and I have a feeling I’ve heard most of them before. It is a solid record, with solid riffs and a solid sound, but it does not manage to surprise the listener. The songs are good for throwing a beer or two and running into the pit, guns blazing, but it does not really have any memorable hooks or riffs.

6.0/10

SAM C.A. VAN DE LEUR

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Festival Preview: Brutal Assault 2016


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Tomorrow kicks off the 21st Brutal Assault Festival with Parkway Drive, Neurosis, Arch Enemy, Behemoth, Mastodon, Abbath, Devildriver, Exodus, Ministry, Nile, Obituary, Satyricon, Ihsahn, Dark Tranquility, Dying Fetus, Unearth, Conan, Voivod, Taake, Septic Flesh, Insomnium, Stuck Mojo, and Mono among others. Making the festival unique compared with other events are the art exhibition, horrror film festival, revolutionary Cashless/Access card system, and other features that have always made Brutal Asault the leaders in the festival going experience. Previously announced bands Electric Wizard (visas) and Terror (surgery for Scott Vogel) have cancelled and replaced with Uffommamut and Raised fist respectively.

BRENT HINDS of MASTODON

Mastodon, by Echoes In The Well Photography

Wednesday kicks off with bands like Abbath, Mastodon, Neurosis, Devildriver, Mutooid Man, Chelsea Wolfe, Tribulation, Conan, Vektor, Gruesome, Shining and more.

 

Gojira, Photo by Hillarie Jason

Thursday features Parkway Drive, Gojira, Ministry, Exodus, Ihsahn, Dark Tranquility, The Black Dahlia Murder, H20, Animals As Leaders, Immolation, Aborted, TesseracT, Obscura, and more.

Friday has Arch Enemy, Moonspell, Taake, Satyricon, Cattle Decapitation, Sigh, Coroner, Obituary, eptic Flesh, Voivod, Raised Fist, iron Reagan, In The Woods and others.

 

Arch Enemy, by Meg Loyal Photography

Arch Enemy, by Meg Loyal Photography

Saturday closes things out with headliners Behemoth, Agnostic Front, Insomnium, Moonsorrow, Destruction, MGLA, Venom INC, Archgoat, Stuck Mojo, Holy Moses, Stick To Your Guns, Lightening Bolt and more. Tickets are still avaialble at this link:

Behemoth, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Behemoth, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography


Mastodon, Ministry, Parkway Drive, Behemoth And More Booked For Brutal Assult 2016


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Long-running and legendary Brutal Assault Festival takes place again this year for their 21st edition. Taking place which takes place in a military fortress Jofesov in Jaromer, in the Chech Republic the four day festival runs from August 10-13th. In addition to headline acts Mastodon, Ministry, Parkway Drive, and Behemoth, the fest features names from across all genres of rock and metal such as Aborted, Agnostic Front, Angelcorpse, Animals As Leaders, The Algorithm, Archgoat, Birdflesh, Bury Tomorrow, Conan, Coroner, Dark Funeral, Dark Tranquility, Devildriver, Die Krupps, Disavowed, Destruction, Electric Wizard, Eskimo Callboy, Exodus, Eyehategod, Gruesome, Hypnose, Immolation, Insomnium, Iron Reagan, Jig-Ai, Knuckledust, Leprous, Mgla, Misery Loves Co., Mithras, Moonspell, Mono, Mutoid Man, Nile, Obituary, Omnium, Gatherum, Satyricon, Septicflesh, Shining, Sigh, Sikth, Slagmaur, Taake, Terror, Textures, The Black Dahlia Murder, Tribulation, Vektor, Valkyrja, Voivod, Whiplash and more. Tickets are on sale now with camping packages at this link: