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THE CASUALTIES
Resistance

Season Of Mist (2012)
Rating: 6.5/10

I first heard New York City’s The Casualties when Under Attack (2006) stormed my desk in the middle of the 2000s. I was impressed with their obvious hero worship of The Exploited then and I still am with the release of Resistance.

As a 30-something who was just old enough to grasp hardcore punk on its first run, this is exactly the sound that plays in my ears when I think of the genre. It’s all piss and vinegar blue-collar politics set to furious drumming, breakdowns and short-bursting solos. And Mohawks, you need the Mohawks.

‘My Blood. My Life. Always Forward.’ and ‘Resistance’ lead the charge here with their extended arm fists and gang vocals, both screaming for unified crowd participation. You know that you have done well when the music urges the listener to participate before they even know the songs, and when they are completely alone driving in their car. ‘Morality Police’ is also a highlight, boasting a bit more old school flavour and some poorly sung, ugly vocal work that makes it that much better.

While this album is really good, the only two real surprises here are ‘No Hope’ and ‘Voice Of The Outcast’, both coming in during the latter part of the album. ‘No Hope’ has a much more modern feel to it musically than the rest of the album. If the vocals eased up a bit it would almost sound like Strung Out or Ignite. ‘Voice Of The Outcast’ is a quick romp but it starts out with a weird kind of intro that almost has a Native American flare to it, before launching into a full on circle pit anthem. As punk and hardcore have been so historically good at, the song provides a place for fans who have never fit in to societal norms to come together and form their own society. It’s Bonding Through Struggle 101 in a little less than three minutes, but it sounds great and will certainly get you amped up.

Overall, The Casualties have never offered anything that hasn’t been done before, so why would they start now? They are simply the torch bearers for a lost genre of music and they are pretty damn good at it. All of the songs on Resistance have an energetic spark and lyrical edginess that makes them good enough to be a threat to rock ’n’ roll, but they also all tend to blend together sooner rather than later.

Mark Fisher

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