If Sick of it All is the hardcore scene’s version of Slayer and Hatebreed is the Metallica of hardcore, then Terror is most certainly the Lamb of God of hardcore. The style never really changes, but the fans love it and Terror is set to become the king of the scene one day. "The Damned, The Shamed" is everything that the fans have come to love about this band; it is heavy, fast, and has a sing-a-long in every song. The lyrics come from the heart, and that is what it should be all about.
You can tell that an album is going to be good when you start nodding along soon as the first song kicks off. "Voice of the Damned" is a perfect opening song for a Terror disc. The song has it all. But then out of nowhere comes a guitar solo, which is something new for the band and the hardcore scene in general. The next song, "Relentless Through and Through," picks up right where the last one ended. This song is one of the best of the album and it is sure to be a live favorite. Terror knows how to work a decent breakdown into their work, but few bands would be able to follow up a breakdown with a guitar solo (yes, another one!) and make it sound so smooth and flowing.
"Betrayer," the next song, is slower than the last two songs. Toward the end of the song it all slows down and vocalist Scott Vogel does a few lines of clean(ish) words. "Rise of the Poisoned Youth" picks up the speed again, as the song builds up into an explosion of pure anger and fury, typical of Terror. This song is also set to become a favorite. The song offers many chances for the hardcore masses to sing with Vogel and mosh to the music.
"Never Alone" is the longest track of the album, it is also the first of the disc to have a film clip to go with it. The lyrics of the song are almost uplifting at times. Lines like “When you're down reach for me, with all your strength and I won't let go, it’s you and me against this world, you've got to know that you're never alone” show that Terror is not some tough-guy band only interested in breakdowns, but a band that writes songs that actually mean something.
"What I Despise" keeps up the pace. At one stage it seems like another guitar solo is coming on, but it doesn’t happen. This song has definitely been written for the live show. The song consists of gang vocals, breakdowns and lyrics that are going to inspire countless mic grabs and stage dives.
The next song opens with a vocal solo that is all about living for yourself and no one else. "Let Me Sink" and the next song, "Feel the Pain," follow a similar pattern. Both songs start with a part focused only on the vocals. But instead of a breakdown, "Feel the Pain" focuses on guitar harmonics, which is a fresh change in the right direction. "Lost our Minds" is a great song, although it seems Terror doesn’t have it in them to write bad songs. This song is definitely a highlight of the album, however. It has it all - breakdowns, gang shouts, good lyrics, speed, and a guitar solo.
The next song, "March to Redemption" seems like it is going to be soft, as the instrumental start is fairly mellow and soft. But any fears that Terror has gone “soft” are smashed when the song gets into it, but the mellow instruments do return at several points in the song. The following song, "Crush What’s Weak," brings back the rage. But the song takes a little bit to get into, as it has a bit of an intro to start it. Many might not like the long intro, as hardcore gets straight to the point and isn’t about beating around the bush. Besides the start, "Crush What's Weak" it is a great song though.
"Still Believe" shows that Vogel has been influenced by hip hop during his career. The lyrics are catchy and all rhyme, which again sets Terror apart from the over-crowded hardcore scene. What a closer for an album, "Suffer to Return Harder" is a perfect hardcore song. This song is pretty much a “fuck you” to anyone who has doubted Vogel. Although the song is no different to the rest of the album, it is still a great closer.
Terror is a band to watch. While they don’t really break any boundaries or try to change the scene they still write songs that are far better than many bands in the scene.
Never Alone Music Video
