The New Enemy

The further we progress from mid-’90s hardcore, the more appealing (read: nostalgic) it becomes. No one embraces this under-acknowledged piece of punk rock past more than the New Enemy. With a hammering rhythmic attack reminiscent of Kid Dynamite, brash vocals equivalent to the Dillinger Escape Plan and harmonies yanked from some of Avail’s finer moments, this throwback quartet are spot on through an ephemeral six-song EP. Embittered yet forward-thinking, persistent and zealous, the New Enemy fit in perfectly with newer acts such as Cloak/Dagger and New Mexican Disaster Squad, albeit with slightly rougher edges that lean towards Agnostic Front-ish confrontational attitude. If Outsourced is any indication of the New Enemy’s potential, they are very well Toronto’s greatest hope for retrospective hardcore.