Hellhounds "Dischord"
By Abel Folgar
Wednesday. Jan 11, 12:37 AM
South Florida street punk.

The opening count-off on the hi-hat followed by the ripping-into by the rest of the band is reminiscent of second wave hardcore British punk bands like The Varukers and Disorder, but the comparison ends there. Hellhounds’ version of hardcore punk rock is well executed; the rhythm section of Tony on bass and Juan's drums sets a 4/4 break-neck cadence on which rip-roaring tracks like the aforementioned opener (the title track) and the slightly slower follower, "Ad-Vice," feed off. The drums are discernible and crisp, lightning fast fills and rolls like machine gun fire; the bass lines thick and distorted.

In the vein of American hardcore acts, gang choruses and layered vocals pepper the stresses throughout the songs with all four members lending throats. The twin guitar assault by Jacob and Harry is a buzz-saw amalgamation that go from the straightforward devastation of youth crew union hardcore "Churchills '98" to the metal-tinged leads of "Take a Fall." Easy standout here, incorporating the solid musicianship that differentiates good punk from bad punk, is "Miami Babylon," a Kenneth Anger-styled depiction of South Florida's gritty cocaine underground, pseudo-hidden prostitution, and everybody's favorite unlicensed Hialeah dentists/plastic surgeons operating from residential garages.

That sets up the final track, a heartfelt acoustic number about a fallen friend, "Pat's Song," and a bonus street-dubbed freestyle rap to round out the 20-minutes length of this EP.

Listen to a song from this album in our Radio section!

Abel Folgar

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