Review by Dillon Crader
The California Hardcore band Rotting Out are following up their last full length album on Pure Noise Records, with a raw and punchy EP, Reckoning. Rotting Out has always delivered, and even after a lineup change and I was very excited to see what was in store, especially after they seemed to capture their true sound in their last full length, Wrong Way.
The opening track “Born” begins with a sample of two men talking. This sample seems to set the mood for the EP, then ends by driving into an astounding bass riff. The song continues with a fast paced verse that leads into a huge build-up into a breakdown that makes you (or at least me) want to pit. This is the first of many moments to come in this EP that will make you feel like this. The Second track, “Eyes Wide,” continues the same sample from the beginning of the EP and starts off with a fast paced guitar riff. Vocalist Walter Delgado really delivers on this song, bringing meaning to the cliché hardcore statement “music with meaning.” This song has very powerful and meaningful lyrics, though the rest of the album does too, but I can really tell in this song. “Eyes Wide” has a lot of “two stepping” riffs and a lot of group vocals which is expected for most hardcore bands.
I want to give a lot of credit to bassist Benjamin Ruiz for delivering with raw bass throughout all of the next track, “End Of The Road.” “End Of the Road” also continues the sample from the beginning of the EP, and is about Rotting Out’s hometown, Los Angeles. Track four, “I Don’t Care,” is a straight-up punk song. Though hardcore and punk go hand-in-hand with each other, it’s awesome to see a hardcore band do something that they haven’t done before. “I Don’t Care” flows straight into the last song in the EP, “Live Fast Die Young.” The flow keeps the momentum driving forward and delivers intro a very solid track. Though I do personally think that the band should have used a different song to end on than “Live Fast Die Young,” just because it seems to end quickly. Overall, though, Rotting Out keep the true meaning of hardcore in this EP and don’t hesitate to push their boundaries or try new things. If you are into hardcore this is a must listen to EP for 2015.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “End Of The Road”