The Kingdom

Self-proclaimed vegan straightedge hardcore band Kingdom don't waste any time on The Rage That Guides, spitting out ten songs in less than 25 minutes. Most of the songs find a way to back into each other, although without much differentiation between the batch. "Real Crime" kicks in with the same drumbeat as "Voluntary Human Extinction," and all of a sudden it's a crapshoot trying to remember which song is actually playing. For a moment they're able to break free from the mould ("Black Friday," "Pythoness") but they're too few and easily forgotten. The real highlight of the album is reading the stories behind a couple songs included in the linear notes ("Black Friday recounts the death of Jdimytai Damour, who was trampled and killed at a Walmart in Long Island, NY last November) and the reason for the band's commitment to veganism. But that's hardly worth purchasing the record for.