Burn Down The District - This Is Not The End

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Most Metalcore these days isn’t very good.  The simple, down tuned riffs, the awful clean vocals….Metalcore has turned into the dreaded nu metal of its time.  However, there was a day when Metalcore was actually good.  CALIBAN, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, old ALL THAT REMAINS…now one more band can be added to that list: BURN DOWN THE DISTRICT. With their debut three track EP, the band makes a statement that it can once again be a viable genre.  The opening track, “Burn,” starts off with a bang; vocalist Steven Navin screams “we will burn it down!” and the track kicks into high gear.  Navin’s vocals are well done; there are no clean vocals or boy band sounding choruses.  He uses a throaty yell caught somewhere between a scream and a hardcore yell.  He is definitely an energetic singer and he gives the songs an extra kick; I would imagine he is very good in a live setting as well.  At times he reminds me of Matt Holt from NOTHINGFACE.

Dean Roberts and Roy Shaw are capable guitarists that know how to play a good, catchy riff; I found myself headbanging quite a bit during this EP and several of the riffs stuck in my head, such as the main riff of the second track “Flocks.”  When their groove builds up I can hear a LAMB OF GOD influence.  The riffs during the title track around the 38 second mark and 1:14 mark contain some serious groove.  If the ending riff at 2:47 mark doesn’t make you bang your head or throw your cat against the wall, then you probably don’t have a soul.  Paul Whibberley (drums) and Dan Wilkinson (bass) are the standouts on the album.  The two of them are a small army of foundation and heaviness.  Whinnerley’s drums are well done and extremely loud; this guy pounds the skins like they are going to break.  Wilkinson compliments the guitars and even has a few standout moments such as the almost funky rhythm he creates halfway thru the title track or the thunderous rumble during the opening segments of “Burn.” If you think Metalcore is a dying genre or maybe it can be saved with some new life, then BURN DOWN THE DISTRICT are here to save it with a solid first outing.

Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 9