Uphill Battle

And the carnage known as metalcore continues with Wreck of Nerves, the second full-length outing from California’s Uphill Battle. Fitting in somewhere between Jane Doe and Calculating Infinity, this album actually finds the band coming into their own a bit more; with a bit more room to breathe within the mathematics and hissy fits, these guys have matured their sound a bit. But mature becomes a relative term when dealing with such raw, primal outbursts as the 11 songs found on Wreck of Nerves; apart from the slight groove and near-melody of "Another Step” and maybe the cool staccato machinegun riffery of "Tear Everything Down,” this is just a freakin’ onslaught of screaming, fussing and fighting, with every member racing towards the finish line in a desperate attempt to get there first. Amazing that they hold it all together, and unlike the mediocre production sounds that marred their last album, this one sounds pretty crisp and clean. All told, this is another solid release combining the fury of hardcore with the chops of metal in a completely satisfying way, proving Uphill Battle are fast becoming one of the leaders of the pack. My only complaint is one that applies to the genre as a whole: where are the songs?