The Warriors

Since their formation almost a decade ago, Californian hardcore outfit the Warriors have always been able to successfully dance between staying true to their beloved genre while incorporating just enough diverse aspects to keep things interesting. Some four years after tertiary outing and Victory debut Genuine Sense of Outrage, latest work See How You Are proves none of that delicate balance has been lost with time. From a rare infatuation with genre stalwarts Snapcase to typical Hatebreed- and Sick of it All-ish breakdowns, vocals worthy of Converge's finer moments and the occasional peppering of death metal grind (most notably during the verse riff of imposing tune "The Enforcer") or Pantera-esque guitar solos, See How You Are is a lumbering attack fuelled by malevolence and infectious bitterness. Regardless, the Warriors tend to rely on the oppressiveness of halftime beats and detuned, full ringing chords a touch too much. If they added a few more full-on ragers to this album's half-hour runtime, it would be a dense blast. As is, while it's strong enough to inspire multiple listens its powers of incitement tend to wane on the heels of their overexploited tactics.