Review
Lahar
Provide & Conquer

Spook City (2005) Michael

Lahar – Provide & Conquer cover artwork
Lahar – Provide & Conquer — Spook City, 2005

The Northwest is breathing new life into its hardcore scene. They've got a lot of great bands right now - Go it Alone, Shook Ones, The Answer, Sinking Ships, Betrayed, Daggermouth, and so on. And while those bands lean towards the traditional side of hardcore, there are others that aim for something a bit more metal. Seattle's Lahar deliver just that with their debut full-length, Provide & Conquer.

From the get-go of "Just Self of Centered," Lahar serves up beefy riffs with the occasional Euro-thrash flair courtesy of Jesse O'Donnell and Shane Wilson. But the key ingredient, providing the backbone to Lahar's music, is Ken Dirkes drumming. He furiously pounds at his kit making use of a significant amount of double-bass as well as big cymbal crashes, all while providing a steady beat. Further fuel is added to the fire by means of Tory O'Donnell's vicious screams and yells. The resulting concoction is hardcore-tinged metal (not the other way around) reminiscent of All Out War and God Forbid.

And while the vast majority of the tracks that comprise Provide & Conquer lean in the metal direction, the hardcore vibe is underlying throughout. Several tracks - "Countless Sins" for example - feature aggressive breakdowns that could have just as easily found their way onto a Hatebreed record. The track "Children of War" contains a great sing-along chorus - definitely not something you'd find on an At the Gates album.

The eleven tracks that make up Provide & Conquer may not be the greatest thing to hit the hardcore/metal world, but they make for an enjoyable listening experience. I would like to see how these songs transfer over in a live setting as I have this sneaking suspicious that their live show is twice as intense as the music contained here. And that's how music is supposed to be experienced anyways, in a live setting.

7.0 / 10Michael • March 30, 2006

Lahar – Provide & Conquer cover artwork
Lahar – Provide & Conquer — Spook City, 2005

Related news

Lahar Post New Demo Online

Posted in MP3s on November 26, 2006

Recently-posted album reviews

Between the Buried and Me

The Blue Nowhere
Inside Out (2025)

Between The Buried And Me are seasoned vets to the progressive metalcore, electronic, prog (whatever other genre they bend) scene and continue to drop album after album. Their career started back in 2000 from the ashes of one of the greatest metalcore bands of all time (in my humble opinion), Prayer For Cleansing. As the band has progressed over the … Read more

The Beths

Straight Line Was A Lie
Anti (2025)

Dear Beths, Congratulations on the new release. I’ve been reflecting on our relationship and, as I’ve recently started to write about music again, have been asked to share my thoughts with you. First and foremost, I want to say that this isn’t easy for me. I cherish your album Future Me Hates Me from 2018. The title track alone is … Read more

East End Redemption

Crashing Down
Independent (2025)

Who would’ve thought that from the land of lobsters and blueberries, you’d find a punk band? East End Redemption is a four-piece band that brings their flavor of punk from Portland, Maine to the masses with their eleven song, debut full-length album, Crashing Down. They mix elements of skate punk, power pop, and even hints of hardcore punk. The band … Read more