DEATHKILLER

It would be cynical to write a lengthy review about a disc that clocks in at under 27 minutes, during which only 13 tracks manage to play. Any music connoisseur, knowing this fact, would be thinking along the right lines — especially when the band is called DEATHKILLER. The first thought — that the band plays grindcore — proves absolutely wrong the instant the first and undeniably strongest track on the album, "Take Me To Your Bleeder," kicks in. What we hear is fairly melodic hardcore, at times veering into grunge and straightforward heavy punk, with some outright rock 'n' roll moments thrown in. The music is moderately aggressive and not particularly heavy in terms of sound. "New England is Sinking" is the band's debut release; vocalist and guitarist Matt previously played in HATEBREED. Overall, the record sounds quite lively and decent. Nothing new has been invented, the lyrics are (as one would expect) about sharp socio-political issues, and the band works in a genre that is far from commercially successful these days. They certainly deserve respect for that, though it's unlikely they'll be able to say anything new within this genre.