Acid Rain
S/T
Self-released (2014)
Sounds like: The harder side of hardcore with angry, gruff vocals and plenty of mosh parts.
Score 8/10
Tough guy hardcore. Like most sub-genres of punk and hardcore, bands of this ilk are a dime a dozen, but when the style is done right, I can certainly dig it. And in the case of a new Las Vegas band called Acid Rain, this harder version of HC is executed without a hitch.
This 4 song demo not only features tight playing from all of the musicians involved, but the recording is top notch as well. In fact, I am constantly amazed at the quality of most current punk/HC demos, and it’s crazy to think that many debut demos are 7” worthy now a days. Long gone are the days of the Tascam 4-track and/or boom box rehearsal recordings.
Musically speaking, this is moshy hardcore with faster verses that lead into slower choruses and breakdowns (there’s a couple rad guitar solos too). No doubt this material is tailor made for floor punching and foot stomping, and I’m sure the pit at an Acid Rain show is no place for the weak. If I had to describe these songs in one sentence for a friend, I would call it, “Great music to jam while doing push-ups.”
I especially like the throaty vocals, which are belted out with maximum vitriol, but are surprisingly discernible to the ear. Vocalists like Choke from Slapshot immediately come to mind, and it’s obvious that the harder side of NYHC has had a huge influence too. From what I can decipher, these dudes also seem to have some decent lyrics
That said, there are no lyrics on the Acid Rain bandcamp page, and I have yet to see a hard copy of this demo. These guys have been playing live recently, including a short California tour, so I’m assuming a physical copy can be obtained directly from the band. They also have a couple t-shirt designs available if you would like to support this fledgling group.
Yet another impressive debut that further proves LVHC is alive and well.
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