COMEBACK KID - Broadcasting...
Broadcasting..., the third CD by Canadians Comeback Kid convinced me that hardcore can still sound awesome today. Although the line-up has changed from a five-piece to a four-piece, the band hasn't shed speed or brutality. The songs on average are possibly a bit longer than on Wake The Dead, but they are still not reaching epic proportions.
It wasn't too obvious that Comeback Kid would still be the same as singer Scott Wade left the band and guitar player Andrew Neufeld, also doing the vocals in the Christian hardcore band Figure Four, is now the new vocals. He doesn't do a bad job at all, even if his vocals are less melodic than on previous Comeback Kid albums. Comeback Kid have a feeling for brutal and aggressive songwriting with some melodic elements packed into a strong old school hardcore attitude. Most songs are tougher like the opener Defeated, like the unpolished and rough Hailing On Me, the angry Come Around and my favourite Givers which isn't too far away from ancient Gorilla Biscuits classics. If you prefer the more melodic and even sometimes emotional side of Comeback Kid, try the title track, Industry Standards and One Left Satisfied.
My general impression is that Comeback Kid have become tighter and straighter than they used to be in the past. Even if I normally prefer less brutal hardcore music, Comeback Kid play faster and more aggressive music in an authentic way, making Broadcasting... more than just a remake of Wake The Dead. Suitable for fans of Snapcase, With Honor and Every Time I Die.