Chris’ Review:

I suppose it was predictable that EC’s 2008 reunion tour would result in a reunion album followed by another reunion tour to help sell said album. Less predictable was whether Earth Crisis went back to the studio to do more experimenting with their style or record a nice slice of nostalgia for the ’90s hardcore “kids” that broke out the old windbreakers and basketball jerseys for last year’s tour.

If I had to compare To The Death to their older material (which of course I have to) I’d say Breed The Killers. Some EC fans regard Breed The Killers as the beginning of the end for this band, but I’m one that welcomed the progression from a sludgier, bombastic hardcore to a faster and thrashier style. (I did not welcome the aforementioned “experimenting” that came after Breed The Killers.) That leaves us wondering, if Earth Crisis isn’t giving fodder to the aging pit dancers, will they succeed in drawing new fans to The Discipline? I’m gonna say no on that one. If I had to compare To The Death to something less than ten years old for a younger metalhead… hmmm… think Lamb of God with a lot less technical shit going on and more gang vocals. I don’t think younger fans are going to hear something they’ve been missing, musically anyway.

But credit to Earth Crisis for finding that fine line between self-tribute and ill-conceived reinvention. Most of the songs are concise and energetic, Karl’s vocals are badass as ever, and the trademark guitar and bass tones are there. Opening track “Against the Current” rips a vintage gang vocal breakdown chorus; the opening riffs of “When Slaves Revolt” had me cranking the volume instantly, and how about closing the album with an allusion to the call-and-response outro of the song “Gomorrah’s Season Ends,” the lyric that launched a hundred thousand straight edgers? Maybe a little indulgent, but it slayed then and it slays now.

Secondly, as the band’s promo material openly states, Earth Crisis is as much about their message as their music (more so than their music, actually, which is Karl’s convoluted explanation of why their last album sucked so bad). True, the message also sells a lot of t-shirts, but Earth Crisis did nothing to distance themselves from the ‘direct action’ ethos of animal and earth liberation groups, preaching “Ultramilitance” before eco-terrorists were declared a top priority for the FBI. (Looking back, apparently both the FBI and Earth Crisis were a bit misguided in early 2001). I can’t think of anything in today’s kiddie metal culture that holds a candle to the social influence of bands like EC in their prime. Whether that was a positive or negative influence is a whole other can of worms (please don’t hurt the worms). For those who didn’t see it in person, To The Death offers a glimpse of the roots of that power.

Chris’ Rating:

King says: “I was almost convinced to stop buying leather vests.”

Justin’s Review:

With their 2008 reunion tour, Earth Crisis rose like the Phoenix (and one could only hope… burning every last copy of Slither in their wake). If the show I saw proved anything, it was that: 1) EC was ready to prove to the metal/hardcore* scene it was 1996 all over again and they hadn’t missed a beat and 2) watching a room full of aging 30-somethings trying to do the windmill is quite amusing. And thank God for the former, because outside of Hatebreed, hardcore just hasn’t been getting through to the kids since Full Collapse hit it big and Tony Brummel started chasing the almighty emo dollar.

So… like a fine, non-alcoholic wine or an aged, soy cheese, EC are back with an older perspective, a new label, and ready to tout their distinct brand of metallic hardcore*, love for all things animal, and “kill your local drug dealer” ethos. And I, for one, am stoked. Karl Buechner’s a much better spokesman for the sXe movement when he’s behind the microphone rather than in front of the television camera. And let’s be honest… Freya wasn’t anything to write home about, so having EC back at the top of the heap is a welcome return. You can probably imagine my excitement when I read that the new material was supposed to be a “mixture between Destroy the Machines and Breed the Killers” (in my mind, the only thing better would be a press release saying “the new shit sounds exactly like Gomorrah’s Season Ends“). Needless to say, my expectations going into To the Death were pretty high. And ultimately, I suppose, that might’ve been the album’s undoing.

Left on its own, TtD is a completely solid effort… great production, classic hXc songwriting, and plenty of mosh (from 0:03 in). Unfortunately, those perks are also what I consider the album’s defining shortcomings.

When compared to previous EC efforts, TtD has far and above the best production. The guitars shred, the bass is completely audible, and the drums sound killer. They’ve even managed to nail what I can only assume is the “Golden Gang-Vocal Ratio”… the perfect quantity of lead to backup vocals. Yet, the end result of this precision knob-dialing is one that I find a little stale. You can close your eyes and for at least 1/3 of the album, and pretend you’re listening to Hatebreed. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but one of the traits that defined the Earth Crisis of the 90s was that of dynamics… and so I find it even more disappointing that EC have harkened back to a more “straight-ahead” approach when it comes to songwriting as well. Though EC still find themselves well beyond 98% of their peers, it’s more “chugga-chugga” than suspended chords and pinch harmonics these days (though for the record, I think “To Ashes” is about as quintessential an EC song as you can get).

Maybe it’s just me. I’ve been told on a few occasions that I’m stuck in the 90s, so it’s quite possible that I’m full of shit and this album rules. Either way, I’d recommend “picking up some change” and heading out to purchase at least a couple Earth Crisis albums circa ‘92-’98 (or 2009 if that’s how you roll).

* Note that “metalcore” was not used once in this review.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “I still respect the “X”… I’d just like to hear a little more “Y” and “Z” next time around.”

Have A Listen:

Earth Crisis – To Ashes:

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