This sounds like what could have been the missing link between American Nightmare's two full-length LPs, the straightforward brilliance of Background Music and the more eccentric but equally great We're Down 'Til We're Underground; This Is Hell are certainly keeping hardcore fresh and new-sounding, but they're not straying so far away from their roots as to render them unrecognizable. I'll admit-and I'm sure many others will, too-that I was a little apprehensive about the band's signing to Trustkill and what the ensuing album would sound like, but rest assured, worried masses: Sundowning is a great, creative hardcore record that should catapult the band into the ranks of the best hardcore bands around today.
If you're skeptical about the AN comparison, the first 15 seconds of the first track, "Retrospect," should set you straight; the energetic build-up and line "if ever we were innocent/ that time came and went" start the record off on a note very similar to Background Music's "(We Are)." And similar to that record, Sundowning never slows down from here. "Here Come the Rains" prove that "creative breakdown" is not an oxymoron, and "Permanence" is a four-minute hardcore epic, culminating in the repeated group shouting of "if the good die young, we'll fucking live forever." Powerful stuff.
One of my favorite aspects about Sundowning is that it feels like an album, not just the latest 10-12 songs the band has come up with. It's got a definite flow, and the two instrumental tracks segue into its different sections effectively, a la Tragedy. Hardcore bands have never been great at releasing full, cohesive albums, so I'm doubly impressed that This Is Hell's debut full-length is this well composed. My hat's off to Trustkill for signing a band for their talent, not immediate commercial appeal; seeing some real quality in the Trustkill roster is a welcome change of pace.
The production is decent, with meaty guitars and full-sounding vocals at the forefront, though it would be nice if the drums were crisper and the bass were more present in the mix; a bit of knob-twiddling behind the boards could really send this record over the top in awesomeness, but as is, Sundowning is still a great record. If you have any interest at all in the handful of modern hardcore bands that are keeping the genre fresh and exciting without flirting with metal, This Is Hell should certainly be on your to-watch list.
