### Terror: Keepers of the faith

#### 20/06/12 || Habakuk

Machine room: increase testosterone production. Redistribute energy: cut brain by 40 %, shift power to neck and limbs. Remove filter setting: tough guy bullshit. Increase sweating. Release lower jaw, close nostrils, reroute air flow through mouth. Eject Hair. Set visual filter to dark red. All stations: engage!

Welcome to Terror mode. Nope, this album isn’t suited for your yoga seminar. This is aimed at people to whom “contemplating one’s life” means just one more unnecessary pause between deadlifts. Have the Hatebreed slogans on constant repeat lost their “empowering” effect on you? Well, you might just find something in this. Go read a book if you need intellectual stimulance – “Keepers of the Faith”, like many good hardcore records, has the stimulating effect of a brick wall.

“How repulsive!” – Here’s a hint though: you don’t need to be an idiot to enjoy this. Just pretend to be one for 40 minutes, they make it easy. Do not want? Stop reading.

Still, anyone giving it a shot will find that below the caveman appearance, there is an underlying structure to this album that’s superior to the tried-and-tested tough guy hardcore formula. The band borrow strongly from metal, crossover and punk instead of inserting breakdowns for the sake of having them. In other words: When you look past the obvious traits like guitar tone and vocal style (which are both very good for what they set out to achieve), this album has the songwriting to stand apart from its scenic contenders – including the band’s own, older material.

Now it’s not like the songs in themselves (they’re mostly below 3 minutes) are showcases of masterfully intricate arrangement, but they manage well to carry an aggressive, energetic vibe from riff to rhythm and back. Yet, listened to in direct succession, they still vary enough from each other to make the album as a whole an enjoyable listen.

Only at rare occasions did my strategy of zoning out from the masculine idiocy fail me. Lines like “You have no brotherhood at all!11” or the pretty abysmal anthemic song “You’re caught” just broke the scale of my bullshit filter – but for 90 % of the album, a brain on stand-by (Gym!) will get you through this unharmed.

- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Reaper Records
- Website: www.keepersofthefaithhc.com
- Band
- Scott Vogel: vocals
- Jordan Posner: guitars
- Martin Stewart: guitars
- David Wood: bass
- Nick Jett: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Your enemies are mine
- 02. Stick tight
- 03. Return to strength
- 04. The struggle
- 05. Shattered
- 06. You’re caught
- 07. Dead wrong
- 08. Keepers of the faith
- 09. Stay free
- 10. Hell and back
- 11. Only death
- 12. The new blood
- 13. Defiant