Hardside - Welcome to Hell

Straightforward hardcore hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Hardside is releasing their debut EP Welcome to Hell on Lionheart Records out of Germany. The record packs a nice punch, with three angry, heavy songs in the vein of old school New York hardcore.

For a first EP, the recording quality on this was done pretty well, as the instruments come through clear, however the mixing seems somewhat off. The vocals are almost too loud at points, as well as the bass drum. But then again, this is hardcore isn't it? Nothing's going to be perfect, especially the first time around.

The overall tempo of the record is on the slower side, especially during the breakdowns, making the tracks a bit catchier than faster styled hardcore. The opening of the record, "Welcome to the Hardside, motherfucker!" gets things started nicely, sure to fire up crowds at local shows. This also reminds me of bands like More to Pride or Overdose, who each had similar opening tracks on their records.

Lyrically, this isn't a posi-core effort by any means, although that should be fairly obvious by the title, Welcome to Hell. The songs mainly deal with society's decay, self-worth, and past failures or problems in life. "The life I've lived brought me down a dead end road/Try my best to escape from the demons/What's the use anyway?" from the title track sums up much of what is said on the EP.

Hardside's debut effort, while it isn't terribly original, is definitely worth a listen. Of all the newer bands coming out with heavy New York influences, this EP is better than most. Also, the guest vocals from Bitter End's Daniel Rosen are a nice touch on the title track. Check out Lionheart Records for the EP, or visit the band's Myspace to stream the tracks.


http://www.myspace.com/welcometothehardside
http://lionheartrecords.bigcartel.com/