Band: Brothers
Album: Black Friday
Genre:  Hardcore
Label: Saw Her Ghost

Tracks:
1. Beginnings
2. War At Home
3. Trapped
4. Black Friday
5. Day One
6. So Sincere
7. Never Again
8. Strength In Numbers
9. Hand of Judgement
10. The Destroyer
11. Is Anyone Listening

Forget everything you think you know about the hardcore scene right this moment. It is not whatever Hot Topic is carrying or a fashion, but pure music meant to get a rise from the listener with passionate playing and vocals that simply move you. With that said, meet Brothers, the next big thing in the hardcore scene. Brothers is bringing hardcore back to the brotherhood it began as andBlack Friday is their battle cry; and if I may suggest, you need to tune in to this because they will spare none in their quest to take back the hardcore scene.

The album is gritty from the start with the lines, “everything is falling apart/but I’m putting those days behind me/this is where it begins,” taking us form the intro into the first true track, “War at Home.” As a first true song, a lot of weight is put on it, but have no fears as this song capsulizes everything Brothers is and what hardcore needs to be in the future. It’s heavy music made from grassroots with middle class angst written all over it. You can tell straight from the flat out screams in the vocals to the simplistic, yet intense pace and gang vocals that this music is meant to gather us and take us into battle for real music. Brothers also stands out because they don’t carry a message of simplistic hate or prejudice, btu rather life issues, brotherhood, and some relationships. Most of the time, things seem to be more about dealing with issues rather than using brute force and that’s refreshing to see.

The key for me on this album came in the gang vocals and sheer force that Brothers are able to bring again and again. “Black Friday,” “Day One,” “Never Again, and of course the closer, “Is Anyone Listening,” answers that final number’s question with a resounding – YES. I listen to tons of albums a week as we pick what runs on the site and I must say that there is no way you can turn a cheek to Black Friday. It’s heavy, yet catchy and likely to make you throw down regardless of where you are. In fact, it is playing while I write this and I’ve made numerous stops to chant along or pump a fist in agreement with the messages of Brothers.

Though, I know it’s not all about being catchy, you also need to please the technical and sometimes more elitist fans of both music and hardcore. Well, as, “Trapped,” “The Destroyer,” and, “Strength in Numbers,” shows, Brothers isn’t all rage. These tracks have immensely resounding guitar work and the drums and bass stay pounding throughout. Even for a band on a small label with little production budget, these songs hit – hard. It’s like the band knew they had to find a gap between the new genre of “scene hardcore/metal” and the old school style and found exactly what they were looking for.

I know I haven’t dabbled much in the realm of downfalls, but that’s only because there is a serious lack of them here. The biggest problem will be convincing current “true” hardcore fans that Brothers is worth their time. Even with the more positive messages and technical skills, the band blends very easily in with the likes of Death Before Dishonor and Have Heart. In fact, anyone on the Bridge 9 label is replaceable with Brothers, but I’m not sure that’s truly rip against the band.

Black Friday is the best hardcore release that has gone under the radar this year. If there is one band that we at UTG are aware of that truly needs more exposure at this very moment, it’s Brothers. Both on the record and in a live setting [which music of this form is meant for], Brothers encompasses all that is great about the hardcore scene and delivers it in a welcoming, yet true to form style. Don’t download this album from some blog, but instead buy a legit copy [even on vinyl if you want] and spin everyday, as loud as possible. Brothers is the kind of band the heavy scene needs right now and we as fans of the genre need to make sure their music is heard.

*Written By: James Shotwell*
Grade: 9/10

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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