RAPTURE- Unburned
Have you ever reminisced about the days of “Spirit-filled hardcore”? Los Angeles band Rapture might be right up your alley. Upfront Christian lyrics, check. Mid-paced chugga chugga riffing, check. Limited and appropriate use of breakdowns, check. I didn’t know anything about this band before getting this download for review. All I knew was it was described as “hardcore.” But in today’s musical climate, what does that mean? Metalcore? Deathcore? Hardcore punk? Nope. None of the above. This is just flat-out, proper hardcore. The kind you might have heard in the mid-90s. Heavy, but not metal, mid-paced hardcore, perfect for dancing, moshing, circle-pit-inducing vibes.
Rapture have released two demos prior to this recording for On the Attack Records. The band cycle through 7 songs in just 15 minutes. Track one kicks off with a mid-paced chugga-groove of 90s-era hardcore. The lyrics on this short intro track lets you know where the band are coming from: “Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end.” Moderate tempos continue throughout, with shouted vocals in a slightly higher pitch than normal, somewhat reminiscent of Bloodlet or xDisciplex AD, though not quite as raspy as either of those. “Legacy” picks up the pace just slightly into 2-steppin’ tempos and chunky riffs great for the dance floor. A killer, chunky bass intro opens up “Once to Die” in a way that summons The Crucified or No Innocent Victim. Album closer “Devotion” is the fastest track on the album, and I can already see the circle pits forming.
While Unburned isn’t perfect—for one, I’d like to hear a bit more originality in their songwriting, stretching themselves lyrically and also with their riff compositions—it is a solid hardcore offering. If you’ve been missing the sounds of Six Feet Deep, Earth Crisis, Throwdown, Dodgin’ Bullets (especially with the dual vocal attack on “Once to Die”), xDisciplex A.D., then give this a spin. (www.ontheattackrecords.com)
(On the Attack) 3 out of 5 stars
