Straight Reads The Line

Since 2004, Stoney Creek's Straight Reads The Line have been hard at work touring, and recorded their eight-song EP, Let's Get Nuts. Four years later, their debut full-length album, The Author, has made its way to a shelf/file-sharing service near you and the wait is completely worth it. This record is based upon hardcore rhythms and speed but has a hefty abundance of shredding. Wearing some influences on their sleeves, the sound of Misery Signals dances through your head on "The Jig Is Up" via a melodic chorus, with heavy reinforcement from the percussion. Front-man Black Prince's range is one part of the equation that makes this album work so well. On "I Wouldn't Go Out, There's Some Ruffians," he goes from coarse shouting to guttural lows, meeting the musical changes excellently. The majority of The Author is chugging hardcore but what stands out is the intricate riffing, solos and finger sweeps from guitarists Don Levasseur and Andrew McDermid, notably on "The Orchid Killer." Straight Reads The Line's ability to breathe fresh air into a genre that is tediously consistent with remarkable musicianship is one of the most endearing parts of The Author.