God damn it, these five young punks from Iowa (Iowa!) have just given the entire hardcore scene one hell of a kick in the arse with this incredible debut disc. Modern Life Is War play fairly straight-ahead hardcore, but with heaps of emotion drooling off of every chugged-out riff and screamed vocal. There's also more melody at play here than the usual thick-necked hardcore album, and a nice production that doesn't forget the treble, especially in the wonderful, crashing open drum sound. The lyrics put this one over the top though; rarely have tales of alienation, heartache and general states of emotional chaos been this effective, this poetic, this hard-hitting. Great vocals that don't sound cheesy or forced in any way (shocking, isnt it?) and a nice brief playing time will have everyone coming back for more. Their great live performances only seal the deal; this is one hardcore band to keep a keen eye on in the future.
(Martyr)Modern Life Is War
My Love. My Way.
BY Greg PrattPublished Feb 1, 2004
