Suburban Scum

Hanging By A Thread EP

New Jersey heavy hardcore crew Suburban Scum dole out the Slayer and Metallica riffs and add a mean streak of hardcore screams and breakdowns on Hanging By A Thread. From the opening E-chords of this EP’s title track, it’s clear we’re in for some serious punishment. While Hanging By A Thread reeks of mid-’90s straight edge hardcore in the vein of Chokehold, Undertow and Strain (remember them?), it still hits that oft-forgotten sweet spot between today’s Goth-doused melodic-metal acts and the endless flurry of bad metalcore bands. There’s something about straight-ahead, angry metallic hardcore like “No Justice,” with its lyrical naiveté and simplistic but bombastic song structure (really, this is one big breakdown sandwiched by two simple metal riffs) that just feels right. Nothing fancy, no dizzying blender parts or unnecessary guitar squealies; just hard, heavy riffs (most ripped from either …And Justice For All, South Of Heaven or both), a singer that pops veins in his neck by the minute, and a drummer who sounds like he’s got cinder blocks tied to his arms. Who could ask for anything more?

6131 http://www.6131records.com

“Nature Of The Beast”