Supergroups are a curious entity, as they often appear to be incredible in the idea stage, but the expectations often exceed the execution. Fortunately, the classic phrase "too many chefs in the kitchen" does not apply to Only Crime - whose talents have been involved with acts such as Bane, Converge, Descendents, Good Riddance, and Gwar - because they are a tight and well-balanced group.
Only Crime pairs Good Riddance's melodic voice, Russ Rankin, with heavy, distortion-rich guitars, and thick, torrential bass lines that are uncharacteristic of his skate-punk band's flavor. The balance is striking, as the band is heavy without sounding like a metal band and melodic without sounding poppy. Virulence's standout tracks are often its fastest and heaviest like the opener, "Take Me", which showcases the dynamics of the band perfectly, along with the memorable-yet-brief "In Your Eyes", which lasts all of 38 seconds.
Thankfully, Rankin's lyrics are much better than on last year's lackluster and disappointing record from Good Riddance, My Republic. Gone are the weak political rants about government and authority, as Virulence has a darker tone to match the band's sound. Songs like "There's a Moment" and "Framed Then Failed" are the best examples of how the lyrics paint a bleak, collapsing world populated by liars and enemies, and speak of the future as a decaying, rotting place.
Where Virulence fails to impress is on the slower arrangements. "This is Wretched" is forgettable and bland, while Rankin's vocals in the album closer, "Xanthology" feel mid-tempo and don't match the music at all. Those expecting a more intense, raw, and enraged performance may be disappointed, as the band's sound is exactly the same as before.
The main problem is that Virulence nearly cheapens the band's unique style by sounding like a direct continuation of To the Nines, a record that was great because it had distinct sound. Essentially, it feels like a collection of b-sides leftover from their first album. It would be difficult to tell what song belongs on which album if all the songs were mixed up, and that can either be good or bad depending on the listener's preference.
Virulence is a good record that adds some excellent songs to Only Crime's small catalog, but stagnation seems to have set in quickly because nothing has been added or changed in their sound. They have potential - and room - to evolve without straying from their style, and hopefully it will happen with their next record.
