It all
blasts off with “Up and Down”, a short, jolting song that gradually
creeps to life until it suddenly hits you like a sledgehammer to the skull.
The guitars growl. The drums pound. And vocalist Brian Foster spits out
venomous, self-deprecating lyrics with intensity reminiscent of the Nihilistics.
“Next Stop, Hell” is a more adventurous song with its melodic
bursts and frequent tempo changes. Sort of atypical for a hardcore band,
but the boys from Bottomline execute without getting caught by many of the
snags many hardcore bands face with so many change-overs. The transitions
are near seamless, although at some points they do slow down a bit to regain
their rhythm. The intensity is never compromised, though. Jumping ahead
a little bit, we come to “Outstaying Your Welcome”, a big song
on which Bottomline flex their muscles a bit more than usual. It starts
off with a huge riff and a driving kick drum. Using Foster’s grumblings
as a cue, they then jump head first into a menacing, brooding, but way too
short groove. I understand they are a hardcore band, but a smidgen of mellowness
wouldn’t be too bad at this point in the album. The rest of the song
is interesting though. Bottomline play around with different time signatures
that start and stop unexpectedly, creating a well-crafted nervous tension.
Not easy-listening, but this is hardcore, right? On “Outpaced”,
the band gets back to basics. It’s short -- only 1:17 -- and brutal,
just as hardcore should be. There’s a short metal guitar riff tucked
away in there, but it’s still well-anchored in the world of punk.
You’ve got to love Bottomline’s precision on those time-signature
transitions. Bottomline leads us out with some “Double Talk”
and man is it dirty. The distortion has been turned way up. The hi-hat on
the drums sounds thrashy as hell. And Foster hurls invectives with the force
of a hurricane. Toward the end it all comes together in a manic frenzy with
him doing tight back and forth vocals with another band member as the guitars
and bass jack-hammer and the drums pummel, and then… BAM! No One’s
Safe comes to an abrupt stop, leaving you dead and dumbfounded.
This ep lives up to Bottomline’s reputation as a “hardcore band
without bullshit”. Every song is full of razor-sharp string-work,
imaginative drumming and vocals that awe and overwhelm. I expect to hear
good things from these guys for a while.
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