Never wasting a moment, the Bay Area's Skin Like Iron has brought forth yet another new recording with this seven-track 12" EP. All Human Failings is another blast of gritty, raw, and noisy hardcore punk from one of the genre's top bands. They didn't leave much room for improvement with their last go-around, but that doesn't seem to stop them from churning out records.
Skin Like Iron welcomes us back with "Exanimation (Transit III)," likely an extension from the last track on their self-titled 10" released last year - "Expiration (Transit II)." The song begins with a fitting introduction of guitar feedback before truly beckoning the ears with the searing guitars of Paul Ehat and Alex Capasso assaulting the ears, not to mention Capasso's venomous vocals. Mixed together with an ever-quickening pace delivered by the rhythm section, the song is a great start to the record.
"No Legacy" follows with a slightly overbearing sense of gloominess in the guitars at the beginning; it kind of reminded me of the first Pelican EP. This is quickly erased with a furious hardcore punk assault centered around Sam Bosson's drumming - and the rest is history. For All Human Failings the band chose to revisit two songs from their early cassette tape recordings. "Makeshift Crown" returns and it is still a stunning mixture of noise-core and hardcore punk, though the cleaner production distinguishes the nuances a bit more than the original.
Skin Like Iron further explores their varying influences with "Peace Extinction," which boasts devastating blast-beats and a destructive chaos reminiscent of Infest. The mid-song drop out is pure auditory bliss - the echoing feedback and thundering bassline of Blaine Patrick that leads directly into the breakdown is everything I've come to love from Skin Like Iron. "Nightmares Erase" is a minute-short crawl that combines the slow churn of the guitars and the barely moving march of the drums with the guttural vocal performance by Capasso.
With "Wisdom IV" Skin Like Iron again revisit their love affair of hardcore, punk, and rock and roll. If American Nightmare crossed with late Black Flag and the early Hydra Head catalog, it'd sound like this. Unfortunately I've yet to hear "Wisdom III" from a cassette compilation release, but I think listening to all the "Wisdom" tracks in a row would make for quite a unique venture - something that I plan to do in the near future, as well as the "Transit" tracks (that are spread out throughout the band's catalog).
All Human Failings closes with a re-recording of "Sirius Rise." The band has basically stayed true to the original; the production quality is the most notable change. This song definitely benefits from the stronger production on the rhythm section; it gives the song a thicker bottom end.
Lyrically, Capasso continues his bleak and frustrated perspective on society in these songs - but it doesn't take a genius to figure that out given the records title. He avoids vague musings and cliché phrasings, thus providing a stimulating experience from your mind as you read along with the lyric sheet.
Skin Like Iron continues to assert themselves as one of hardcore's most unique outfits. With each release the group exceeds any and all expectations, consistently finding new ways to impress me. All Human Failings is a must have album, not just for this year, but for any collection.
