Fight Pretty

Smoke Filled Womb

Written by: PP on 15/04/2010 00:16:06

Last year Texas hardcore outfit Fight Pretty re-released their debut album "Rewiring The Human Body" for free on the internet, hoping for more people to check out the band and maybe even come to a show, buy merch or purchase a copy of the disc. Times were tough for these boys economically speaking despite the vast talent and quality anyone with ears could recognize from their debut, which is why I'm the bearer of some bad news: Fight Pretty have broken up. The good news, however, is that they're going out with a blast, by releasing their sophomore album "Smoke Filled Womb" that has been three years in the making, as a digital-only release because they couldn't afford to print the CD. People pay attention here: this is exactly why you should support your local bands by any means necessary.

The debut saw the band dust off their old Norma Jean, The Chariot, Converge and Botch records, taking the pioneering hardcore/metalcore hybrid expression of the legends and revitalizing it in their own format. While all influences (especially Botch) are still loud and clear on the mix, as evident in the ferocious way in which their vocalist explodes into his screams line after line, the songwriting overall has taken a significant leap forward. The songs come across like much more thought was put into them as opposed to the fire-at-all-cylinders and race-to-the-finish hardcore of the past, and as a result, the guys now have a distinct identity of their own instead of just being a very good clone of the old greats.

The guitars may have owned a pinch of Southern attitude previously, but now they're all out southern metalcore, where references to the first Maylene record are aplenty (except Fight Pretty are much heavier and more punk), while the Botch and Norma Jean influences are honed and refined into a bombastic mix of Texas-attitude and abrasive hardcore punk. The expression is very convincing, thanks to their menacing vocalist whose aggressive in-your-face scream rips through your ears ignoring collateral damage in the process. That said, it's unrealistic to claim that Fight Pretty would be fighting in the premier league together with the bands mentioned here. But in my eyes, Fight Pretty were among the prime candidates to promote themselves from the first division come their now never-to-be-heard third album, to draw the football analogy a little further. Shame they broke up.

7

Download: Thin White Line, College Towns, Saltwater Newlywed
For the fans of: Botch, Norma Jean, This Is Hell
Listen: Myspace

Release date 16.03.2010
Self-Released

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