RYKER'S - "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" (2015)

RYKER'S - "NEVER MEANT TO LAST"
(Running time: 37:15 minutes; 14 songs)
("BDHW Records"; CD; 2015):

One more post in the pipeline for today. I'll travel to Munich these week and won't be back not before next week or so and so I thought why not bring another post which means another record review up here for today after for the rest of the week it will pretty sure be pretty silent up here due to my before mentioned Munich-travel. This will be a review on one of the back then in 2015 most or highest anticipated albums of that year, so in my perception, the back-then new and today still current RYKER'S album "NEVER MEANT TO LAST". After I totally cheered up to their comeback slasher "HARD TO THE CORE" in 2014 (it even made its way into my albums of the year list back then, for justified and good reasons) I was curious what they would come up with on the follow up album. Maybe with a band like the RYKER'S there's always a good, healthy dose of emotional nostaligia in the play, at least in my case, because beside the fact that I love this kind of music since two-and-a-half-decades now (yes, I become more and more an old man, time flies by, but that's life... I guess) listening to a band like the RYKER'S always sets me in a good mood, bringing back feelings of easier days of my youth when music, concerts, moshpits, pogo, brews'n'booze, girls, friends, hanging out, and a bit of good friendly violent fun were the really important things in life; days of youth: good times, easier times, exhilarated and breezier days back then. (Not anyhow better days, but different times, easier days.) You know what I mean anyhow. But after in the case of "HARD TO THE CORE" also the musical delivery totally lived up to this, it was all really more than just good and fine. So I was really excited and curious about the follow up one "NEVER MEANT TO LAST". The first thing to notice was/is/will be the new singer of the RYKER'S: Dennis, the former BRIGHTSIDE singer and member of STILL SCREAMING and TAUSEND LÖWEN UNTER FEINDEN now owns the mic after original singer Kid D called it a day after their comeback album. I think the only remaining founding member still active today is the man at the bass, Chris, but who cares. Musicwise we see more relevant changes. When "HARD TO THE CORE" really was a through and through RYKER'S album in their traditional way but thankfully done very fresh and alive-lively without any lame retro bullshit, then "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" brings some let us say modifications, changes, variations, and renewals to the surface and showcasing it to us in the light of a brandnew day. The RYKER'S integrated a lot of Metal, namely Thrash Metal, into their music and they also work partially in very drastic accelerated regions of pace of their songs, even scraping it or yet in blast speed regions. While the Hardcore is always present and leading it's easy to say that partially "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" is definitely a Metalcore album; but Metalcore or maybe better metallic Hardcore like we don't get it delivered that often these days. We also get a first class apocalyptic Metal Instrumental with "THE AGE OF..." and with the outro track "COWBOY SONG" there's even sort of a Country track on the album. Sort of... No problems so far with it all, and I think it's even pretty good that the RYKER'S move(d) ahead and sort of develop(ed) and established a renewed style and sound. At least if they do it in a good way. And do they? Yes, of course. Okay, here and there I think not all works out like the guys pretty sure have wanted it to and not all fits already perfectly together what results in a few weaker or simply weak songs and especially lacks Dennis' the charisma and special own identity of Kid D who marked the RYKER'S so strong virtual for ages and decades but not blaming Dennis for that and he delivers definitely a good and strong performance, but damn it, all in all the RYKER'S did an pretty impressive job with their so far last album "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" and with reinventing themselves a bit, keeping it fresh (and this, I'm pretty sure, also for themselves) and this is something I can really cheer up to. Here we get really harsh and strong metallic Hardcore with big doses of New York Hardcore impressions, harsh Thrash Core influences, strong (Thrash) Metal marks, and here and there also some few hymnal sing-a-long Oi! and Streetpunk notes in it, filled with crushing guitars, hammering drums, sawing bass work, forceful shouted lead vocals, widescreen crew back ups, powerful grooves and slashing beat downs, pretty catchy sing-a-longs, and all down beating mercyless raging nearly blast speed attacks. Bonesmashing Hardcore on a very high level maybe to be located somewhere between old RYKER'S and BRIGHTSIDE, TERROR, a big bunch of glorious New York Hardcore heroes, PRO-PAIN, some few RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR, CATARACT, and MACHINE HEAD, with plenty of guest appearances of well know (New York) Hardcore magnitudes. A fresh, interesting, and really good and strong re-start of the RYKER'S and their sound, style, and music and it could be interesting and also pretty exciting to where this all will lead this german Hardcore veterans in the future now from "NEVER MEANT TO LAST" on. Good lyrics, a widescreen broad production sound, and a just sheer beautiful and fantastic artwork with some nice RYKER'S old school easter eggs in it we get on top of it all. Not all is already gold but a lot already shines and this often even very bright. Definitely recommended, so if you still don't know and you're into (metallic) Hardcore then go and check it out or buy it (finally) instantly. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.rykershardcore.com/ (the link to the homepage of the band, go there and check it out)