Dischord

Coming at us from Moncton, NB, this disc is surprisingly above the indie qualities the packaging promises. I dig the production sound, raw as it is, and this band hit the spot with their mixture of old Bay Area thrash sounds (right down to the songs that go on for two minutes too long — awesome!) and crossover vibe. Speaking of which, those Accused-like vocals steal the show, with Luc Gagne barking, screaming and gurgling like a madman the way a good metal singer should. Must be a hoot live. Lyrically, the band veer toward political and social issues, always a welcome change from the usual metal fare. The disc goes on too long and eventually it’s all a blur, and there are some demo-quality values that keep things a bit unfocused, but that somehow adds to the charm. Maybe if it was cleaned up it wouldn’t sound as good.