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The Death Before Dishonor have long been a small certainty for those who love the hardest and most genuine hardcore, and the new “Nowhere Bound” is no exception. After some ups and downs in their discography – physiological, especially when numerous changes of formation affect chemistry and inspiration – Boston's quintet seems to have found the route with this new study test. In fact, the album proves to be a concentrate of metallic hardcore in the right extent, inevitably derivative, but capable of playing sincere without being cloying or forced.
From the first bars, “Nowhere Bound” shows that he wants to return to that essential sound that had made Death Before Dishonor a sort of worship name in the early 2000s: simple structures, a metal cut in guitar work, defordant chorus and that typical energy of those who, of their name, made a declaration of intent. The songs follow one another fast and abrasive, always maintaining a compact structure: few frills, so much substance. There is no lack of some thrash inscription in the Riffing – aggressive, but of course never too technical or self -finished – while the rhythmic sector remains anchored to classically hardcore solutions.
The comparison with the terror comes naturally, and is certainly useful for giving an idea of the sound setting of the disc. Where some past episodes of the Death Before Dishonor had ventured into excessively metallic or, on the contrary, too melodic territories (with not always convincing results), here the quintet manages to hit a solid balance. Of course, there are some more Heavy ideas – here too some riffs seem to be left straight from the Hatebreed conterrane manual – but the heart remains deeply hardcore, visceral, angry and loyal to its audience.
In short, the songwriting is agile, without unnecessary complications: each piece tip direct to the target, enhancing the emotional impact rather than the search for novelty. If on the one hand this can bring out a sense of déjà-vu in the long run, on the other he confirms how the Death Before Dishonor have chosen to remain faithful to their identity, without chasing evolutions that do not feel their own.
Among the most successful songs stands out the title-track “Nowhere Bound”, which not surprisingly recalls the origins of the band: the piece, in fact, had already appeared in a rough form in the debut “True Till Death” of 2002, testifying to a strong link with its past. Here, in a more powerful guise, it sounds like a declaration of intent: the Death Before Dishonor are still here, perhaps with a few more scars, but always determined.
In short, we can speak of a good return, which strengthens the reputation of the group as one of the most authentic representatives of a certain American hardcore scene. A record designed for those who still know what it means to believe in certain values, and that live – between sweat and internships – will certainly acquire further strength.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
