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The pack is back with six scorching new Oi! infused American hardcore tracks that will boil you over and leave everything in your path a smoldering wastepile. Denver has never been known as a mild place and “Endless Siege” reflects DIRECT THREAT’s harsh environment to a tee, tackling subjects ranging from a monotonous reality sparking violence to hopeless futures to threats and paranoia. To say life is uneasy is putting it mildly and mild is something DT just doesn’t fuck with. Our favorite lyric line on the record sums it all up nicely: “We are the hammer and they are the nail.” If you let these sounds fuel your fight, you cannot lose.
Our take: You might remember this Denver band’s 2021 demo (which Iron Lung put to vinyl), and three years later we have their proper debut EP, a co-release between Iron Lung Records in the US and Quality Control HQ in the UK. Three years seems like a long gap between a demo and a first EP, but the extra time in the oven paid off with this batch of tunes. At first glance, Direct Threat sounds a lot like other oi!-infused hardcore bands of recent years, with their fuzzy, analog-sounding production and barked, 86 Mentality-style vocals. But behind the primitivist production are interesting and even subtle songs. I love the Negative Approach-esque drum parts on “The Violent Dawn,” which sound so classic, but the most striking moment is “Hammer of Reality,” a song built around this unique, bouncy rhythm that might seem like a slight stylistic detour, but I think it really works. Endless Siege is full of moments like that, and it’s worth a listen even if you’re feeling a bit worn out by all the new jack oi! boys.
- Label: Iron Lung Records
- Format Type: 7"
- Genre: hardcore
- Year: 2024