Until the End CD Reviews

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UNTIL THE END

"Let the World Burn" (Eulogy Recordings; 2002)

I often find myself wondering why I haven't developed a finer appreciation for hardcore after all these years writing and listening to all that the heavy music genres have to offer. My limited experience with the genre wasn't so limited that I couldn’t comment intelligently about it, but at the same time probably wasn't broad enough to be considered an expert either.

I'll admit that I'd never heard of Until The End until now. While I certainly knew of the sub-genre of straight-edge hardcore, I was probably even less familiar with it than I was of the regular hardcore scene. I do know enough after a little research that some members of Until The End aren't exactly newcomers to the scene. Members of Until The End have spent time in renowned acts such as Poison The Well and Where Fear And Weapons Meet.

So the only thing left for me was to figure out if I was to be disappointed once again or that I might be pleasantly surprised. So, I took my time listening to "Let The World Burn" to be sure that the hype surrounding the band and this release wasn't just a bunch of hot air. I'm happy to report that I was indeed pleasantly surprised by Until The End's "Let The World Burn."

"Let The World Burn" features a total of nine songs; six of the tracks are new studio recordings and the remaining three are live tracks recorded in Switzerland during 2002. True to their hype, Until The End is pretty much straight-edge hardcore. There aren't any metal influences to be heard on "Let The World Burn" or any emo influences either. "Let The World Burn" features unadorned, straight-ahead hardcore with enough crunch and aggression to knock your conscience into next week.

The glowing press reports of the band make a big deal of the band's breakdowns - and rightfully so. Until The End's breakdowns are tight, to-the-point, and complementary additions to the songs rather than breakdowns for the sake of having a breakdown.

The three live tracks are very impressive. If you’re not paying attention you might not notice the tracks were recorded in the concert setting. That means either Until The End are great at capturing the live vibe in their studio sessions or their live performances are as tight as their well-honed studio efforts. Methinks it's a combination of both.

While hardcore may not be my preferred style of heavy music, I was not once compelled to turn off Until The End's "Let The World Burn" while I was listening to it for the purposes of this review. That might not sound like much, but it is high praise given my general lack of enthusiasm for the hardcore genre.

Until The End are Pete Kowalski on vocals, John Wylie on guitar, Richard Walbert on guitar, Dan Mazin on bass, and Wes Keely on drums.

For more information visit http://www.xuntiltheendx.com or http://www.eulogyrecordings.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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