All Out War

All Out War's vocalist, Mike Score, starts off Truth in the Age of Lies' liner notes by saying, "It's hard to believe that some of these songs are over 20 years old." It certainly is, as these songs, which were originally released in 1997, are heavier than almost anything currently coming out of the hardcore/metal scene. An early perpetrator of metallic hardcore – that is, the actual combination of hardcore and metal, rather than what has become "metalcore" – All Out War combined hardcore's energy with metal's aggression. The early combination of the two resulted in some kinks that had to be worked out, most notably in the transitions and occasional awkward riffs. However, the final result is still impressive. In lieu of the more modern production that creates the illusion of heaviness in today's music, the riffs remain heavy on Truth in the Age of Lies. And while an impressive tone backing non-heavy songs might appear heavy today, technological advances will make such things sound soft in due time, but tracks like these will never lose their heft.