INHUMAN "Last Rites" I met Mike, Steve, and Joey at the Black 'n Blue Bowl and before going to the show, I was unfamiliar with Inhuman, who I would later learn, had been doing this for 13 years. I read their press release, which stated that they "combined the sounds of the late 80s NYHC scene with punk rock and metal to create a new hybrid of dark aggressive music." I missed their set because I was interviewing somebody. After listening to "Last Rites," I realized I made a big mistake and the interview was really not that important.
The album starts off with "Last Rites," a fast, heavy, straight-forward modern hardcore song, which in all honesty, made me think I was in for another Hatebreed clone release, which I've sat through too many times and grown tired of repeating. Again, I was wrong. The more I listened to the record, the louder the stereo got. In a mere eleven songs, the band took me through twenty years of hardcore.
There is no formula. There is no tough-guy posturing. There is no classification, no genre, no place to really shelf this release. It is just a solid, well-written, dynamic release that exudes diversity, musicianship, and more than capable songwriting. "Mania" and "Bitter & Jaded" is akin to the old, furious 80s punk standards that started it all, while "What You Wanted" is the more classic, centerline punk anthem sing-a-long. "Grindhouse" returns to the cradle of filth era of a decadent Manhattan, following "A Fine Line," which is a short trip south on I-95 to the days of a more melodic Washington DC era. "The Dream is Not Dead" is my personal favorite, a tribute to all those who endured the passing fads and fashions of hardcore and persevered, remembering what was important about the movement.
Traces of early Misfits and even Danzig's "Black Aria" springs to mind in the closer, "The Lost," a dark journey to the end that will leave you wanting more, but in my case, starting the CD over.
Well produced and collectively, no downside. From beginning to end, a perfect record. Get this one while you can. What more can I say?
I Scream Records
review by Jason Walsh
