Loyal to the grave brings more honor to the hardcore scene with their latest EP. They haven't dropped music in a long time; you would think they would lose their touch, but they still have it. From crunchy and beefy riffs to pounding drums, nasty bass, and solid vocals, it’s no wonder these guys are so respected in the Japanese hardcore scene. The big thing here is that they seem to switch up their production style, which gives them a nice new sound. I liked most of it except for maybe the layering of the vocals. Kobas vocals seemed a bit too buried, but his powerful vocals were still able to shine and sound strong. We even get a nice guest vocal spot from Scott Vogel, and he sounds right at home in the song. The most impressive thing on this EP is the drums. They have a nice popping sound to them and do some nice, tasteful drum fills. The riffs are big and ripping hard, and the bass is chugging away to give some nice weight to the song. The overall songs are very loyal in terms of being bard and heavy. There wasn't a lot of experimentation on here, but hey, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, and these guys know their style well, so keep at it.
RATING: 8/10
NOTIABLE TRACKS:
Justified
Burn It Down
Remain Steadfast