The Florida hardcore crew's debut album packs one hell of a punch!
So much of the best hardcore is born of struggle, and Southpaw FLHC are a case in point. The penultimate spoken-word title track on ‘The Standard’ sees vocalist Daryn LaMontagne forcefully set out his band’s stall; most notably, their humble beginnings, their outlook as a band and their ‘carpe diem’ attitude to life in general. Long before that track arrives, though, the band’s dedication shines through – this is no mere fun side-project or anything like that.
No, ‘The Standard’ is for folks who like their hardcore genuinely HARD. The band incorporate elements of hip hop, metal and – of course – punk into their sound, and fans of hardcore heavyweights like Biohazard, Hatebreed and Madball will find plenty to enjoy here. The ode to life on the road that is ‘Rolling Stone’ kicks things off with a rumbling intro, a suitably imposing riff, and a bouncy, hip hop-style rhythm, and the intensity doesn’t fade any from then on.
The gang vocals are out in force on the likes of ‘Run Game’, which also boasts a truly granite-strength breakdown, and ‘TTG’, which belts along with all the velocity and impact of a speeding monster truck. ‘Nail in The Coffin’ features some crazy double bass drum action and some brilliantly crunchy mid-section riffing, whilst the anthemic ‘Torches’ – a salute to those who’ve paved the way in hardcore – sounds like it could flatten just about anything in its path.
Our personal favourite, though, has to be – surprise! – the fastest track on offer here (although it does get slow and heavy halfway through). Not only is ‘The Path’ shot through with a sense of urgency, it also features some awesome thrash metal style soloing courtesy of guest guitarist Eric Ellis. It’s a side of the band we’d love to see more of in the future, should they feel that way inclined.
Overall, ‘The Standard’ doesn’t especially push the hardcore envelope, but that matters little when the songs are up to this, erm, standard – and when they’re played with this much dedication and passion. As they close with the sonic wrecking ball that is ‘DTWD’, you get the feeling we’ll be hearing much more from Southpaw FLHC in the near future.
‘The Standard’ is released on 31st July via Spinefarm – pre-order it HERE.
Main Photo Credit: SEAN KERNOHAN
- Rolling Stone
- Run Game
- TTG
- Nail In The Coffin
- The Gavel
- Torches
- The Path (feat. Eric Ellis)
- Play The Fool
- The Standard
- DTWD
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