Aaron Lewis – Give My Country Back Review (2.5/10)

Is the hardcore kingdom in danger? Madball have never been a band interested in chasing whatever happens to be popular. For more than three decades, they’ve built their identity around straightforward New York hardcore, and Not Your Kingdom stays firmly within that tradition. There are no major stylistic surprises here, no attempts to reinvent what Madball sounds like, and honestly, that’s both the album’s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. The band still understands how to write heavy grooves, aggressive riffs, thick basslines, gang vocals, and songs built for a hardcore crowd. The problem is that too much of Not Your Kingdom feels like Madball operating on autopilot.

The album gets off to a respectable start with “Tethered,” immediately establishing the familiar Madball formula. The guitars are aggressive and groove-focused, while the bass and kick drum provide the majority of the low-end weight. Freddy Cricien’s vocals remain unmistakable, carrying that rough, commanding New York hardcore delivery that has defined Madball for decades. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with his performance, but the instrumentation surrounding him doesn’t always give him material worthy of that voice.

Production is one of the stranger aspects of the album. Everything is clean enough to understand, and the drums have a particularly sharp presence, with the snare cutting through the mix extremely well. Unfortunately, the guitars frequently sound thinner than they should. For a band whose music depends so heavily on physical guitar weight, that becomes a noticeable problem. The bass often ends up doing more work than the guitars to make the songs feel heavy, and while that bass tone is excellent, it shouldn’t have to compensate for the lack of guitar impact.

When Madball are locked in, however, Not Your Kingdom absolutely works. “Flammable,” “Don’t MisStep,” “Stab Wounds,” and “Family First” represent some of the strongest material here because they have the aggression and momentum that fans expect from the band. “Don’t MisStep” in particular stands out with its faster punk energy, crushing grooves, and excellent low end. It feels immediate and physical rather than simply sounding like another Madball song.

The bass is arguably the most consistently impressive instrumental element throughout the album. “Chase a Dream” gives it room to stand out, while other tracks use it to reinforce the heavier guitar sections. Even when the guitar production feels slightly underwhelming, the bass keeps the songs from becoming too sterile. The drums are similarly effective, particularly because of that sharp snare sound and the band's ability to shift between faster hardcore rhythms and slower, heavier stomps.

Freddy Cricien remains a major reason the album works at all. His vocals have lost none of their identity, and the gang vocals throughout “Rebel Kids,” “Life’s a Mural,” and “Clockwork” add the kind of communal energy that Madball have always done well. Lyrically, the album sticks closely to familiar themes of family, loyalty, perseverance, and hardcore unity. There’s something admirable about that consistency, but there’s also a point where consistency starts becoming predictability.

That predictability becomes particularly noticeable during the weaker stretches. “What Say You,” “The Ride,” and portions of “Life’s a Mural” aren't bad songs, but they don't give you much reason to return to them. They follow the same basic songwriting language Madball have used countless times before, and without particularly memorable riffs or huge moments, they become easy to overlook.

The pacing doesn't help. “Rebelude” arrives early enough to interrupt the momentum before the album has properly established itself. Interludes can work when they add atmosphere or provide a meaningful transition, but here it mostly feels like the record stopping for the sake of stopping. “Sunrise” fits the overall New York atmosphere somewhat better, but it still doesn't feel essential. On a relatively straightforward hardcore record, unnecessary interruptions become more noticeable because there isn't enough variation elsewhere to justify them.

Thankfully, Madball are at their best when they slow things down and focus on groove. “Family First” has the kind of classic New York heaviness that recalls the crushing weight of Merauder while remaining firmly rooted in Madball's own style. “Stab Wounds” is another strong example, building tension before dropping into one of the record's heavier moments. These are the sections where the band sounds most convincing because they don't need complexity. They simply need to hit hard.

“IWI” takes the opposite approach by delivering a short, aggressive burst that doesn't have time to become repetitive. It's a reminder that Madball can still create urgency when they keep things compact. Unfortunately, some of the longer songs don't always have enough ideas to justify their runtime.

The closing “Chase a Dream” provides a decent final push, with energetic drumming, thick bass, and punk-driven guitar work bringing some of the album's energy back. It doesn't quite deliver the huge finale the record seems to be building toward, but it's still one of the more enjoyable moments on the back half.

Ultimately, Not Your Kingdom is a difficult album to dislike but an equally difficult album to get genuinely excited about. Madball still sound like Madball. Freddy Cricien still sounds great, the rhythm section remains tight, the bass has plenty of weight, and the gang vocals provide exactly the kind of crowd participation their music demands. But familiarity can only carry a record so far.

The biggest problem is that too many songs feel interchangeable. Madball know their formula incredibly well, but Not Your Kingdom rarely finds a way to push that formula into particularly memorable territory. The thin guitar production doesn't help, and the awkward pacing and unnecessary interludes make the album feel less focused than it could have been.

There are definitely worthwhile moments here. “Don’t MisStep,” “Family First,” “Stab Wounds,” and “Chase a Dream” provide enough energy to keep the record from becoming a complete disappointment, while Cricien's vocals remain one of the album's strongest elements. But compared with the enormous legacy Madball have built over the past three decades, Not Your Kingdom feels more like a competent continuation than an essential new chapter.