01. Intro
02. A Hymn To Grace
03. Angry Or Ashamed
04. There's Always Tomorrow
05. Grey Joey Knish Syndrome
06. The Calm Before The Storm
07. I'm Bad With Names
08. Betray
The first time I listened to "Start Today" by the Gorilla Biscuits I remember being super happy. GB combined positive lyrics with melodic hardcore in a way I hadn't heard before. Southern California's New Direction take this approach with a more modern angle.
New Direction play hardcore in a style that's really polished/melodic. It would remind me of With Honor or Comeback Kid if they respectively weren't as metal or mosh heavy. Even though the music isn't filled with metal/mosh, the instrumentation is still tight and there are definitely moments to get your mosh on. The song "Intro" and the intro to "There's Always Tomorrow" are dosed with easy to listen to acoustic guitars. The vocals remind of the neighboring band Final Fight: hard pressed and desperate. The brief singing part in "I'm Bad With Names" is similar to that of Propaghandi. Lyrics such as, "Throwing bricks through the windows of society at large. It's petty, it's dumb, it's adolescent, but that's exactly what we are," help sum up the lyrical feel of the demo. The feelings of being confused, hating the "society at large" and staying positive seem to be the theme. How much more posi can you get than, "This is my life, and I love my life"? A cover of Minor Threat's "Betray" at the end of the demo is always a big plus in my book.
What are you waiting for?
Recording Quality: 3/3
Format: Cassette
MP3s | Official site
Order from: rollwiththepunchs@hotmail.com
