Metallic Beatdown Hardcore from the United States of America... Only the strong survive when it's every man for himself!!!

TOETAG & SHATTERED REALM - "SPLIT" ("EULOGY RECORDS"; CD):

First of all let me say one... nah, let me say two things: First, yeahr, I fuckin' know it, that this record is 'a little bit older' already, but damn it, that shall not matter here at this point, not at least because I don't know of any newer record of both bands up to this day; Second, I still do believe that Split records should be released on vinyl, but that also shall not matter here at this point of things. So, now to the record. I first heard of this record through my regular lecture of the amazing "AVERSIONLINE" blog (http://www.aversionline.com/blahg/), and I was right from the start fired up. I'm a huge fan of SHATTERED REALM, and TOETAG caught me right from the start when I first listened to a song of them. So I ordered this split record as fast as possible, and what shall I say, it was everything but a dissapointment. Two great bands, that perfectly fit together, together on one beautiful designed CD, sounds like a fuckin' great deal, and that's what it was and still is. TOETAG are starting this CD up with their three songs "ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME", "KILL OR BE KILLED" and "THE BOTTLE". Hard hitting, furious and gladiatorial, brutal and harsh metallic Betadown Hardcore with a unbroken and proud attitude, served to us on a very high level of quality when it comes to the grapping songwriting as well as to the very high and good abilities of playing their instruments. Bonecrushing guitar work goes hand in hand with a totally rampage going rhythmsection, strong and proud crew shouts, and with fuckin' brilliant brutal, hard and smart, charismatic vocals, and that mixture combined with that damn grapping and through and through good flowing songwriting really makes a damn hymn out of each fucking single track. Just pure solid gold!!! On top we do get truly good lyrics delivered from TOETAG, and especially "KILL OR BE KILLED" really speaks out of my heart and out of the deepest parts of my soul. Brilliant!!! Then SHATTERED REALM are coming, with their three songs "HATE FOR THE WORLD", "FIGHT TO WIN" and "BRING THE VIOLENCE BACK/EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF". Like you all should know, some members of SHATTERED REALM were before part of the legendary and awesome FURY OF FIVE, and "BRING THE VIOLENCE BACK/EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF" is a- brilliant- coverversion of an (now-a-days very) old FURY OF FIVE classic. They give us three huge dosages of their very stand-alone and unique New Jersey style metallic Tough Guy Hardcore, full of an 100% authentic unfractured, rigid, defiant, and militant attitude. Atomizing guitar playing gets combined with a harsh and sheer brutal bass playing and an absolutely demolishing drumming, melted together by infernal crew shouts, and cultivated with 100% charismatic and terror spreading brutal lead vocals, and the outcome of this combination, together melting and cultivating is simply a brilliant piece of modern Hardcore music that knows not one single fuckin' compromise, and if you ask me, that's the way Hardcore was and still is damn meant to be!!! Also SHATTERED REALM delivering us very good, no prisoners taking, very proud and unbroken lyrics, also just pure and solid gold, if not platinum!!! The CD comes in general in a hard and dry, really good production sound, and also in a very cool and colourful tattoo style artwork that I really like a lot. That record here is a totally brilliant package that you really need to call your own, so damn, just fucking get it!!! And that's a goddamn order!!! Get it!!! (10 of 10 points)

(Contact: http://www.myspace.com/toetag561)

(Contact: http://www.myspace.com/shatteredrealmfsu)