Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

Repercussions-No Peace EP (Feral Ward, www.feralward.com) Hardly the benefactors of anglophile dis-worship, epic swedish crust, or retro punk clamor one might expect from the Portland/Austin/Tennesee conglomerate, lone star rippers Repercussions deliver simple, straightforward US hardcore punk–pus oozing warts and all–with a hint of crust for good measure, of course.

The band is comprised of members from a number of known DIY outfits past and present, including (but not limited to) Deathreat, Army of Jesus, Signal Lost, Pedestrians, and Cold Sweat. The considerable chops of the above-mentioned projects are very much intact (most notably the raging axe onslaught of Stan from Deathreat), and Repercussions’ sohpomore effort, “No Peace”, manages to sound even more unhinged than their debut 12″ (itself a frantically paced affair), with a bevvy of start and stop whirlwind rhythms, four chord salvos, and the occasional killer break crammed into each agile, tightly wound eruption.

Predictably, this band’s bombardment most closely mirrors that of Deathreat’s ‘less is more’ approach, though the end results aren’t as impactful. A number of songs here seem rushed, lacking the distinctiveness and attention to detail that have made similarly minded recordings so powerful. Songcraft and musical variation here largely take a back seat to brute, numbing impact, with each song functioning less as a distinctive entity than as part of the larger, start-and-stop crust-core wallop. There are no anthems to speak of.

While never approaching the heights of Deathreat’s “Consider It War” LP or the recorded output of Talk Is Poison, avid listeners will note a similarity in the dynamic delivery, musical precision, and keen ear for occasional hooks brought to the fore. The end results are seldom mindblowing, but are far better than much of what passes for hardcore or punk these days. At key moments throughout its brief duration the burn is undeniable. -Mike Ramek