Anyone who tours with Agnostic Front must have quite a bit of talent. The band from New York is not only one of the longest-standing hardcore bands but simply an institution.
SPIRITWORLD is releasing their second album, "Deathwestern." The title could be understood as a play on words but also as a political and social statement, even as a statement about the destruction of First Nations by white settlers. Now, we are in hardcore, and here, not every word is dissected in discussion circles until the mouth gets sore; it’s all about getting to the point.
After a brief intro, the band from Las Vegas launches into a brutal assault. It sounds intense and raw, and above all, somewhat overproduced. Maybe that’s also due to my regular speakers, but who listening to hardcore has high-end speakers at home?
The guitars are very thick and dominate the songs in conjunction with the drums. The vocals, beautifully old school like the songs, fit very well and have a balanced mix of anger and power.
It’s really enjoyable to listen to "Deathwestern," even though I find the heavy sound a bit overproduced. Yes, especially the guitars have a certain closeness to thrash metal or metal in the style of Pantera, but does it have to be that heavy? Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to do everything.
The reference to the Western genre, including the films, clothing, and gestures of days gone by, fits in a way, but it also seems a bit forced to me.
SPIRITWORLD has not released a bad album with "Deathwestern." They show what they can do and why Agnostic Front took them on tour. If they approached their next album with the principle of "less is more," I’m sure I would like them even more.
