Coming out of Southside Chicago, Through N Through built their reputation on socially conscious hardcore that tackled police brutality, domestic violence, and the realities of street life with directness and conviction. Over time, though, the band has increasingly shifted toward a crossover-thrash sound, pulling influence from groove-heavy hardcore and old-school metal alike. On their self-titled release, that transition is impossible to miss. You can hear the stomping hardcore backbone of bands like Madball throughout the record, while the frantic riffing and bursts of speed clearly pull from Sepultura, Slayer, and classic crossover thrash. The issue is that the album rarely feels fully committed to either side. Instead of blending those influences into something seamless, the record often sounds caught between identities, constantly hinting at potential without ever completely locking into it.

“Village Stomp” opens the album with eerie ambience and a surprisingly restrained atmosphere that initially feels promising. The ghostly textures and minimal hi-hat work slowly build tension before the guitars begin stacking around the vocals, giving the intro a darker, moodier edge than expected. But once the full band finally crashes in, the payoff doesn’t land as hard as it should. The drums feel oddly light in the mix, the riffs lack the crushing weight they seem to be aiming for, and the vocals immediately become the biggest issue. It’s not until the second half of the track that the song finally starts clicking into place, where the thicker low-end and heavier groove sections give the music some much-needed force. That inconsistency ends up defining much of the album. There are flashes of genuine heaviness scattered throughout, but they’re constantly interrupted by elements that weaken the momentum rather than reinforce it.

“King Slayer” pushes harder into crossover thrash territory with ripping riffs, frantic pacing, and bursts of speed that give the track a chaotic energy. The drumming improves significantly once the cymbal-heavy grooves and more active fills begin kicking in, and there are moments where the aggression genuinely feels convincing. The harsher, lower-register vocal delivery especially works well, sounding far more natural against the violent instrumentation. Unfortunately, the higher-pitched screams rarely hit with the same intensity. Instead of sounding commanding or unhinged, they often feel strained and disconnected from the music surrounding them. That vocal inconsistency becomes one of the album’s biggest recurring flaws, because instrumentally the band frequently sounds far more dangerous than the vocal performances allow them to be.

That imbalance continues across songs like “Barrio Nocturno” and “Nights of Fear.” “Barrio Nocturno” leans heavily into old-school thrash influences, built around galloping riffs and an unmistakable ‘80s metal energy, but the repetitive structure and stale production choices stop it from leaving much of a lasting impression. “Nights of Fear,” on the other hand, comes much closer to realizing the band’s potential. The drumming feels more urgent, the riffs cut sharper, and the pinch harmonics add a hypnotic groove that sticks with you long after the song ends. For a moment, the band sounds fully locked in. Even then, though, the second half slips back into the same issue that shadows the rest of the record: vocal performances that struggle to maintain the same level of aggression and conviction as the instrumentation behind them.

Where Through N Through truly succeed is when they slow things down and lean more heavily into groove-driven hardcore rather than straight thrash worship. “Nuestra Sangre” and especially the “Life Eater” tracks showcase a version of the band that feels far more confident and authentic. The slower chugs, thicker bass tone, and deeper guttural vocals give the music a heavier presence that feels natural rather than forced. “Life Eater Pt. 2” is easily the strongest moment on the album because it finally sounds fully realized from beginning to end. The gradual build-up, crushing breakdowns, and stronger vocal performance allow the song to fully capitalize on the atmosphere the band has been chasing throughout the record. Even here, though, the return of the higher shouted vocals near the ending slightly weakens what otherwise could have been the definitive statement of the album.

The second half of the record continues reinforcing both the strengths and frustrations of the band’s sound. “Cero Miedo” thrives on sharp riffing, thick bass presence, and a strong sense of old-school thrash spirit, while “Mexican Metal Maniacs” benefits massively from its slower grooves, gang vocals, and guest feature, which injects a level of energy and charisma that the primary vocal performances sometimes lack. There’s also a strong sense of cultural pride and identity running through these songs that genuinely adds personality to the album. Those moments feel most authentic when the band leans into their hardcore roots instead of chasing more traditional thrash theatrics.

By the time “Obscurity” closes the album, the record’s biggest problem becomes impossible to ignore. Instrumentally, Through N Through often create compelling moods through dense grooves, aggressive riffing, and atmospheric guitar work. The bass tone remains consistently thick, and the drumming occasionally finds an effective balance between hardcore stomp and thrash intensity. But the vocals repeatedly undercut those strengths instead of elevating them. The contrast between the moody instrumentation and the strained screams leaves many songs feeling uneven, almost as if the band is pulling in two different directions instead of moving together with a unified vision.

That said, Through N Through is far from a bad album. There’s real potential buried throughout these songs, particularly when the band embraces slower, groove-heavy hardcore over speed-driven thrash theatrics. Those moments feel dangerous, raw, and convincing in a way the faster material often doesn’t. The riffs can absolutely hit hard, the low end carries real weight, and there are enough flashes of strong songwriting to suggest the band is capable of something much stronger moving forward.

Right now, though, the album feels more like a blueprint than a fully realized statement. The songwriting can become repetitive, the production occasionally sounds flat, and the uneven vocal performances prevent many of the album’s strongest instrumental moments from fully landing. But beneath those flaws is a band clearly searching for its strongest identity. When Through N Through fully embrace their groove-heavy hardcore side, they sound genuinely threatening and memorable. If future releases lean harder into that direction while tightening the songwriting and vocal approach, there’s a much stronger crossover record waiting to emerge.