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NYC hardcore punks WARTHOG return with what could possibly be their best recorded output yet. It's been a couple years since their EP's on Katorga Works and Iron Lung Records were unleashed upon us all and in that time the members of the Hog have perfected their particular formula and have finally delivered four more tracks of pounding hardcore savagery that stands out ten fold from most of the bullshit that fans of the genre are bombarded with on a regular basis. Are you a functioning human in a functioning world? Each record comes in a glue pocket sleeve along with a two color risograph printed insert.
Our take: Third EP from this now-long-running New York band, and as everyone has been saying it's probably the first to truly capture their power on vinyl. The production is spot-on, with the perfect combination of heaviness and clarity, and the performance is totally feral. However, what really elevates this record, for me, is the riffing. The shining star of the bunch is that first riff that kicks in after the drum intro to the first track, "Culture?." This riff is an instant classic, the kind of thing you'll hear guitarists pecking out during soundcheck for many years to come. In a sign of their judicious sense of restraint, though, the riff doesn't actually reappear in the song... but that's OK because Warthog have plenty more where that came from. I'm also loving the sick dual leads that pop up a couple of times... that's something that's really difficult to pull off, but Warthog totally nail it without sounding like some kind of cheesy, Thin Lizzy-fied version of hardcore. I often remark that it's difficult to pinpoint precisely what separates good hardcore from bad hardcore, or great hardcore from pretty good or just OK hardcore. Maybe it's an attention to detail, maybe it's the ability to navigate the minefield of potential cliches, but whatever it is Warthog have it. One of the very few bands who could lay legitimate claim to the title of "best hardcore band in the world."