MADBALL - "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" (2018)

MADBALL - "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE"
(Running time: 34:34 minutes; 13 songs)
("Nuclear Blast Records"; 2018; CD):

Good evening, my dear readers, yes, one more time again today trust your eyes because here and now is already the 2nd post of or for this very day aimed at and coming for you and like earlier today with my review on the brandnew TERROR album "TOTAL RETALIATION" also right here and right now we will be and also stay'n'remain in the departments of Hardcore but this time we will move from Los Angeles to New York and we will be with the (al)mighty MADBALL and their new asskicker titled "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" released still pretty recently at the 15th of June of 2018 via the these days sort of more than ever before omnipresent "NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS" label on CD and I'm pretty sure also on LP. MADBALL, yes, one of my all time favourites, it's always a pleasure to see them coming round again, yes, and after all so also in 2018, definitely. This is roughnecked New York Hardcore delivered on a very high level of skill(s) and competence and this all with a damn huge own and unique personality to it all and this all also without a single doubt, yes, but... I can't name it to you sort of in a concrete way why but in 2018 MADBALL with "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" simply fail to really conquer me and I've given "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" over the last month since the day of its release uncountable listening'n'spinning-sessions but to me too much (especially for silverbacks like MADBALL themselves) sounds too lame'n'stale or maybe simply just too ordinary for/to me. Okay, this sounds now maybe sort of harsh and 're-reading' it then it sounds definitely too drastic because MADBALL's "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" is definitely no bad or weak album anyway in general and legions of other bands would sell their poor little souls to come up delivering an album like this but in the MADBALL context and for a stand-alone band like MADBALL this is anyhow a weaker effort and offering and definitely and sadly a more forgettable album of/by them, so at least in my book. It's after all simply too unsinspired and too often they ripp off themselves and it's just not that much exciting after all and too foreseeable and so... yes, any MADBALL fan and any fan of New York Hardcore that showcases a strong hymnal sing-a-long fueled Streetpunk/Punkrock influence with some melodic Oi! impressions here and there as well as metallic notes will find up here anyhow a lot of goods being delivered properly but it all is missing a lot of freshness and excitement this time around, yes, so at least to me. The songwriting is nicely multi-facetted and especially the mid paced and sing-a-long heavy Streetpunk influenced smashers shine bright and know definitely to convince and also to conquer and especially Freddy's highly chrismatic and today more than ever very hard'n'smart vokillz that have developed massively and impressively add a lot of an alive-lively spirit and a huge new dimension and facet to it all and the devastating and highly intense guitar work also leaves no questions open as well as the heavy bombing rhythm section still knows and does to tear down every wall(s) and loud'n'proud gangshouting backings as well as nicely hymnal sing-a-longs we get as well, yes, all good and fine, definitely, I would just wish for more fresh ideas and especially more than just this few slight Reggae reminiscences here and there and also more mercyless intense heavyness and sheer force to lift MADBALL's "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" really up because especially the supposed-to-be harsh and fast raging angry, nasty, and aggressive Hardcore slashers lack a lot of potential and are too lame and too stale ordinary stuff that MADBALL definitely know how to do better and they still know I am convinced. Anyhow, my personal favorites are "REV UP", "FREIGHT TRAIN", "TEMPEST", "OLD FASHIONED", "LONE WOLF", "THE FOG" featuring Tim Timebomb/RANCID, "FOR YOU" and the re-recorded killer-tune "CONFESSIONS" taken from their "HOLD IT DOWN" masterpiece from way back in the days and especially in comparision with this masterpiece current songs of that kind like for example "SMILE NOW, PAY LATER", "EVIL WAYS" featuring Ice-T/BODY COUNT or the just open-boring "ES TU VIDA" pretty much stink. Strong and nicely vocal lyrics, a pretty cool artwork, and a heavy but maybe a bit too sterile production sound then complete the package. So all in all MADBALL delivered in 2018 with "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" definitely a decent, a very decent new album, yes, a strong and good one and for sure in good parts surely and definitely also a damn good one at the end of the day but also an album that personally left me a bit too cold and unmoved and from an anyway still damn authentic and sympathic band like MADBALL I definitely await more so no matter if that's the problem or not but anyhow... New York Hardcore and MADBALL fans will do nothing that much wrong with getting their hands on "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE" at the end of the day but also I definitely expect more of/by them again the next time around. Anyhow, at least risk an ear or two. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!

(8 of 10 points)

http://madballhc.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

MADBALL - "REV UP" (2018, "DOWN FOR THE CAUSE")