Step Kings

There's no evidence of the sophomore jinx on the second full-length from this scrappy trio of Jersey lugs. 3 The Hard Way finds them building on the monster riff rock of their Let's Get It On disc while introducing a more hardcore edge. The piss and vinegar cocktail reaches a boil on the title track, where they sound like a melodic cold fusion mix of Biohazard groove, Slayer riffage and Helmet creativity.