E. Town Concrete - The Renaissance

“We been paid our dues, matter of fact, we overpaid…” Despite their relative youth (all are in their early-to-mid 20s) Jersey’s own E-Town Concrete are veterans of the East Coast hardcore scene, grinding out the past 8 years by incessantly touring behind their hip-hop/metal blend, eventually building up a rabid grassroots fanbase that now allows them to pack clubs without any video play, mainstream rock radio spins, or critical acclaim… …until now. The Renaissance is E-Town’s first album with a significant label push behind it, and is poised to launch them into the mainstream consciousness. Yet the band’s catchiest and most polished disc to date is far from an unabashed bid for crossover success. Instead – much like Metallica’s Black Album – it is a portrait of a group so road-hardened and confident in playing together that the musical development sounds completely natural. E-Town has grown from its NYHC roots to tracks with genuine (sung, no less!) choruses and hooks. The acoustic "So Many Nights" sounds like Jay-Z fronting "November Rain"-era Guns-N-Roses, and seems destined for well-deserved radio hit status - remarkably, it is but one of many standout cuts. Lead single "Mandibles" switches up between propulsive aggression and smoothed-out microphone boasts; "Doormats" is another insanely catchy rap-rock track that features one of the tightest (yet subtle) instrumental breakdowns in recent memory; "More Than Incredible" gives lyrical nods to 80s rock radio (“I was born in the house of blues/propelled by the winds of change/entertained by the theatre of pain”) inbetween sick choruses; and the album closer "Heart Of The Wolves" showcases guitarist Dave “DeLux” Mondragon’s intricate-yet-heavy riffage on a haunting track. My only minor gripe with the disc is during the few moments where the music doesn’t fully live up to the potential promised elsewhere on the album; certain parts of "Metroid" and "Battle Lines" seem a little too hardcore-for-hardcore’s-sake, as if the band was purposely trying to satisfy diehard fans who might not accept their newer, different material as quickly. Yet E-Town's uniqueness is their biggest strength, and should be embraced even more. In spite of the name, the band goes far beyond mere pummeling (chalk it up to their forward-looking instrumentation, incorporating everything from flamenco to jazz fusion), and transcends typical metal limitations through songwriting chops, sophisticated musicianship, and - even more striking for the genre - an actual MC with skills. Mass appeal seems within their grasp, and as this solid, innovative disc proves, it’s been a long time coming. [www.etownconcrete.net]