Hardcore punk is a loaded genre. Very rarely can bands play this style a differentiate themselves from each other. It's not generally for lack of talent but the constraints of the genre are usually to blame. Ashers are a fairly new band this being their first full length. They quickly use their little bit of time to make a strong impression. This seems like a simple conclusion when you consider their membership. Sure they are a newer band but they contain many longtime punk rockers most notably vocalist Mark Unseen.
The vocals truly stand out on this record as they give the listener a familiar sticking point. They rumble on top of the mix with a strong scream. The voice controls the flow of the songs even though the rage is palpable. The band makes strong use of backing vocals as well. The band does a good job of using the background vocals to give the songs a live feel punctuating each song consistently.
For the most part no particular instrument sticks out. Each player is very strong at this style of music. The drums play fast and loose never sounding artificial. the bass rumbles along at a rapid clip every once in awhile poking out to make it known that its more than just an anchor. The guitars rage through everything playing a faster and slightly heavier punk sound.
The band's basic sound still resembles The Unseen in a basic way. Where they differentiate from each other is the speed. this album sounds like what should have come after Unseen's The Anger And The Truth. This is harder, faster and more consistent overall than anything The Unseen has done since the aforementioned album. What this means is in no uncertain terms the band emphasizes hardcore in their hardcore punk. This is not to say that punk sound and attitude doesn't play a part it still is the main piece of the puzzle.
The artwork is strong still on the cut and paste style of most punk hardcore but still nice. It goes a long way to emphasize the general attitude from the album without giving more away than need be. The lyrics are not particularly different than anyone else competent and suitably pissed. Bottom line what you get in this is a strong angry record. The pedigree of its members shows through as it stands above most of the rest of their genre sharing bands.
