Erie hardcore. Ninety-nine out of a hundred of you instantly thought of either Brother's Keeper or xDisciplex AD. While these two groups have since fallen by the wayside, there is still life in the ol' Lake Effect scene. Groups like Jesus Wept, War of Ages, Hank Jones, and Taste the Steel have all made names for themselves and their city in their respective niches of hardcore. Joining them is Erie's latest, Smoke & Mirrors.
Comprised of former members of Brother's Keeper, Problem Solver Revolver, Shockwave, and Seven Stitches, Smoke & Mirrors' sound is rooted deeply in the backpack moshing era of the mid-90's. Flash Thunder is a six-song self-released EP (basically a demo) that combines the worlds of 90's metallic hardcore with dashes of post-hardcore and even some of the sing-along craze of the current youth-crew world.
Overall, this is a good start from a group of diehards finding new life in the world of hardcore. The sincerity of the lyrics and the quality of the musicianship show through in these songs. The EP is definitely worth the low dollar price tag.
