Review by Dom Vigil
Only Crime’s newest album Pursuance hits you right in the face with high energy from the very first note of “We Are Divided” and doesn’t let go until the last second of the final track. This is an album that just oozes raw, unbridled talent, but what more could you expect from such a well put together super group of great musicians? With Russ Rankin of Good Riddance on vocals as well as Aaron Dalbec (Bane/Converge) and Matt Hoffman (Modern Life Is War) on guitar, Dan Kelly (The Frisk) on bass and Bill Stevenson (Descendents/ALL/Black Flag) jumping on drums, this band is pretty much guaranteed success. But regardless of if you like (or have even listened to) the members’ other projects, this album is the definition of solid.
Pursuance is just an album that is easy to listen to. It was put together by a group of men who knew exactly what kind of record that they want to create, and that definitely pays off. Every track on this record flows perfectly into the next, keeping the energy high all while showcasing each member’s abilities. Not just one member shines throughout Pursuance and that’s what makes it so great; from Bill’s catchy two-step beats that make you want to move to the captivating guitar melodies that really pull you into each song. On top of that, the vocals are spot on and mix perfectly with the heavily bass driven songs and hard-hitting, melodic choruses.
The other great thing about this album is that it never loses any of the energy that it hits you with from the very beginning. Every single track on this album gets right up in your face from the very first note and pulls you in to stay. And despite the album’s fast pace, no two songs sound alike, which is definitely not an easy feat. It seems that most bands tend to throw a couple of slow songs onto their albums so as to keep the balance, but Only Crime doesn’t feel the need to, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sometimes, super groups seem to fall flat of the members’ original projects, but that is not the case with Only Crime or with their newest record, making Pursuance an album that will be hard to forget.
Rating: 5/5
Listen to “Absolution”