Draize – s/t 7” – Bad Teeth Recordings

Watching the Boston Red Sox win their 8^th World Series back in October wasn’t easy; especially sitting here in Kansas City as the dust collects on our 1 World Series trophy.   A championship we won when I was 9.  Fortunately for me though, there is only one World Series that truly matters and that’s the World Series of Barbecue held every year at the American Royal, right here in the West Bottoms of Kansas City.  So, those small thud noises you keep hearing in the background are rib bones hitting the floor as they drop from my mouth while you read this.

It might be easy for some to hate on Boston, with all their championships and stuff, but it’s impossible for me with all the great bands it consistently churns out.  INTHESHIT, Tinnitus (Worcester), and Draize are a few that have new stuff out in early 2014.  This Draize s/t 7”, out on Bad Teeth Recordings, is a Marty McSorley assault to the ear drums.  Fast, Boston hardcore, nuanced with some subtle and not so subtle tempo changes that really set off this 6 song EP.  Flagship track “Thick” is as advertised.    It kicks off fast from the start then walks down into a sludged out groove of slow-mo violence that is as hard as it gets, "Take a hard look at yourself!"...so heavy.  “New Nightmares” starts off with a speedy riff, accelerates a bit when the hybrid bark/shout vocals come in, and keeps its relentless pace throughout.  Draize’s punk influences show on the intro to “Enemy”, which is sorta fun, sorta catchy, and then reality quickly sets in when things begin to blast from behind the kit and the vocals explode before they slow it way down and stomp out with a lyrical declaration for your ass.  It’s these doom-like moments in Draize’s sound that add to the aggressiveness of their brand of hardcore.  “To The Bone” spotlights this with fast hardcore, then doom diced up with some metal-ish riffs.  The only song on here over 2 minutes is “Tapped Wire” and that’s due to some really well done instrumental hardcore.

This Draize s/t 7" plays better each time I spin it.  They have a nice mix of fast hardcore, punk, and a pinch of powerviolence.  Lyrics are tough and vocalized as such.  This is everything you’d expect out of Boston, I mean, who needs testosterone replacement therapy when you can just pick up a Draize record instead.  I was fortunate enough to see these guys when they came through KC and they definitely pass the eye test.  So, pick up this record, go to their shows and support this shit.