Ramallah - But A Whimper

Taking the name of their album from a line from one of my favorite poets, Ramallah proceed to thrash the living shiznit out of apocalyptic music. With machine-gun heavy drums and charging, buffalo-stampede shredding, Ramallah are able to create the frentic atmosphere that makes hardcore music so lovable and fun. Equipped with the requisite super-fuzz screams and the metallic-tinged chants by track one ("Ramallah"), the band then proceeds to host a shoot-out of caustic sheetmetal coupled with prophetic lyrics. One of the greatest things about hardcore music is the fact that it always sticks to a quality of urgency (like "to the sounds of the innocent/ suffering, suffering, silently/ WHY?") through the explosive howls of the bands instruments (and vocals are less mercenary than instrumental) are spawn of necessity. That is also, unfortunately, the drawback of hardcore- the alienated clashing and smashing gets a bit tired after a few listens. But these guys are really talented, they have a sense of a-political humor ("True Crime"), and they sound sincere. If you want REAL anti-war music, anti-capitalism music, here's your score. Otherwise, you can just listen to folk music, because both genre's oft-sincere yet oft-hackneyed messages wear on the listener the same way- I just happen to think this way (GRAGH!) is better. [www.whitetrashrob.com]