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Obey The Brave - Salvation

Obey The Brave

Salvation

At heart, Obey The Brave are a meat ’n’ potatoes hardcore band. With muscular riffs, rampant rhythms, weighty breakdowns and plenty of gang vocal shout-alongs, the Canadian quintet embrace the old school, and fans of Sick Of It All, Madball and their ilk will find plenty to love. At the same time, the band inject strong melodies into the tumult, imbuing their songs with catchiness and urgency that bring to mind both Parkway Drive and Confession. This might not make for the most original listening experience, and across 12 tracks it does get too repetitive, but if you’re looking for a soundtrack to punch the air (or your neighbor) in a sweaty mosh pit, it does the job.

They start things off in full on chest-beating mode with “Short Fuse,” laying on the machismo a little too heavy, but once they tear into “Raise Your Voice” things really come to life. Their use of simple but effective guitar leads that slice through the relentless, Hatebreed-esque bludgeon always serves them well, adding extra depth and dynamism across the board. The pounding barrage of “Next Level” benefits from one such lead, imbuing it with a triumphant air, likewise “C’est La Vie,” while the textures of “Lone Wolf” and the otherwise brawny “North Strong” suggest vulnerability lurking somewhere beneath the violence. Chunky closer “Brave The Fire” sees them getting a little more epic, in tone if not in length, again showing echoes of Parkway Drive, albeit in a very compelling manner, packing both sonic and emotional weight in their juddering.

Lyrically speaking, the titles tell you pretty much all you need to know. There is little in the way of deviation from the good ol’ hardcore mainstays, though Alex Erian possesses a suitably gruff delivery to convey their hostile intent. Should they have plans to turn the genre on its head they have a lot of work ahead of them, but for now their burly contribution will keep things ticking over just fine. 

Epitaph http://www.epitaph.com

“North Strong”