Never Again

With the heaps of muscle-bound dudes throwing down and/or preaching from the pulpit about what you’re not doing right in your life, the thought of enjoyable hardcore seems as distant as the idea of Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only embracing in a make-up hug. However, as Dayton, OH’s Never Again prove on Against The Rest, a group of six guys can still embrace their adoration for mid-’80s Black Flag and update it with a touch of Blood For Blood, Hatebreed and Converge without sucking out the fun faster than cops at a field party. Enjoyable without reaching the point of juvenility, the majority of these 11 tracks feature points delivered sans-preaching and a tongue-in-cheek approach that only serves to give their hyperactive pace and chugging guitars that much more punch.