HARDWARES

Ohio youngsters know how to thrash, old-school! This is their third full length, the brother Stown (Vic on guitars/vocals and drummer Jesse) having recruited former HOLY GRAIL/WHITE WIZZARD stringbender James J. LaRue to join the fold, which makes for wicked solos amongst the hair flying, head nodding. ‘Man Undone’, which warns about government oversight/intervention, begins with a particularly furious shuffling riff (think NUCLEAR ASSAULT), elsewhere there’s paeans to MEGADETH, circa Countdown To Distinction: a little more polished, in terms of production and playing. A chugging ‘Hail To The Thief’ rips politicians, via some widdly fretwork. Like the good old days, there are “news” voiceovers to preface some of the songs, although ‘End Dependence’ is a short instrumental. ‘Divided We Stand, United We Fall’ recounts the financial crisis in the USA, as a backdrop for involvement in overseas military conflicts. It features an elongated, restrained, almost acoustic, mid-section. Actually a dual acoustic instrumental, ‘Obsoletion’ closes the (42 minutes) dozen tracks. Throughout, vocals are of the shouted, sometimes off-kilter variety, but nothing too harsh, nor unintelligible and ‘Nationwide Ruination’ has a strong sense of melody. Live, they’re even better!