Facedown and Strike First Records have been on point this year. 2010 has been the year of quality hardcore and metal from the Facedown Family. Saving Grace, A Hope For Home, As Hell Retreats , and Shapes Stars Make have all released great records in 2010. Call to Preserve has released the best album on the label in 2010.
Life of Defiance shows off Call to Preserve's Floridian roots. Their latest record has a lot of Shai Hulud and Strongarm influence, which is great. It isn't your straight forward hardcore record. If you're looking for breakdowns and big pit moments you should look elsewhere. But Life of Defiance is a unique mix of the melodic Florida hardcore scene and the tough guy roots that Call to Preserve come from.
Life of Defiance, the title track album opener, is a slow moving song. It's not a kick you in the face lead off hardcore song, but a slow build. It sets the album apart right from the start. It moves quickly into Drawing Lines on All Sides, a mid-tempoed track that is rooted in Florida hardcore. Both Empty Promises and The Weight are fast moving circle pit songs. Where Functionary is big and bombastic, Desoto is subdued and melodic. Thin Skin sounds like it could've been lifted from Shai Hulud's debut record, starting off slow and almost pained and kicking into circle pit mode, then into something the kids can dance to.
The album ends with Last Look Back, a track that encompasses what Life of Defiance is all about. It's not a throwback record and although it has the feel of mid 90's Florida hardcore, Call to Preserve has made it their own sound and created one of the best hardcore record I've heard in the last 10 years. Fans of Strongarm and Shai Hulud will want to check out Call to Preserve's latest and hardcore fans in general will want to give this record a spin. It's a fresh look at hardcore.
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