Terror - Live by the Code
Like it or not, Terror must be acknowledged as the new kings of Hardcore. The crown handed down from Agnostic Front to Hatebreed is now in their sole possession. Its been a decade now, and nothing has had the ability to stop ex-Buried Alive vocalist Scott Vogel and drummer Nick Jett from taking it to the street. Through numerous lineup changes, a revolving door of label representation (Bridge Nine, Trustkill, and Century Media to name a few), an endless cycle of rigorous non-stop touring, and their fair share of haters, Terror sound as charged up and ready to rumble on album #6 as they did ten years ago. Live by the Code is the band’s Victory debut —not to mention a reunion of sorts for Vogel, as the mighty Buried Alive once called the label home— and, given their rich Hardcore history, it seems like the perfect match. Despite Victory’s more recent atypical signings, no band better personifies what that bulldog used to stand for. Who would’ve guessed these Cali bruisers would end up the NYHC masters? As mentioned, these torchbearers haven’t fucked with the formula much at all since 2003’s Lowest of the Low. While the playing and production have been significantly tightened up over the years, the attack remains the same. The Code might contain some of their Thrashiest work to date, with perhaps a stronger emphasis on melody from time to time, but it’s ultimately what all Terror records have been: pit anthem after pit anthem. Vogel’s venomous bark is in fine form as usual. If there’s one knock on the frontman it’s that he’s been doing Hardcore for so long, all he really has left to talk about is… well, Hardcore. But there’s always plenty of ammo for those of us who’ve been backstabbed a time or two. When it comes to such “hard lessons,” there’s no one more vengeful. The only other complaint about this “full-length” is that it isn’t really a full-length. These guys rarely if ever eclipse the half-hour mark on wax, and at 26:45, Code is no exception. But they were cool enough to press this bad boy on cassette, so I’ll let it slide. Truth is, there really isn’t anything to dislike about Terror. These days they are to Hardcore what Rotten Sound is to Grindcore: so far above the rest it’s ridiculous. The diehard remain.
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