Ringworm

As members of crossover outfit Ringworm move on to the likes of higher-profile acts Chimaira and Hatebreed, one would expect that this band might collapse or just plain give up. In fact, if anything it has only served to make The Venomous Grand Design even more blistering and aggressive. Album number five finds this collection of Cleveland-based hardcore heroes no less daunted by the fact that their ranks are constantly pilfered. They channel the upset and frustration into music, making each track an unbridled beast that blurs the line between hardcore and thrash metal. Bolstered by galloping beats and offset by bellowing vocals and ringing chant-alongs, the album is traditional Ringworm in its musical structuring but incredibly powerful and dominant thanks to the intense degree of spirit. Here, Ringworm achieve the kind of passion many bands strive to create but rarely achieve.