The Shell Corporation

Time & Pressure EP

Written by: PP on 24/01/2013 22:28:49

The Shell Corporation surprised just about everyone in 2011 with their brilliant debut album "Force Majeure", a criminally underrated gem of an album that never got the chance it truly deserved despite the band housing ex-members of such established bands as Time Again, A Wilhelm Scream, and The Briggs. It was a politically charged punk rock album with roots in melodic hardcore, so Rise Against and Propagandhi were the two most obvious bands that came to mind, but they also leaned towards anthemic Gainesville punk in the vein of Hot Water Music on occasion.

Their new EP "Time & Pressure" is an entirely different beast altogether, because even though it still strongly references at least the former of those two bands, the EP is one of two scenarios: either the band have tripped slightly on their red thread, or they are experimenting with new styles and influences given that it's an EP after all. For the former theory, the whole experience feels a little bit schizophrenic. Opening track "Shit Just Got Real, Son" is probably more aggressive than anything on the LP, and it sounds almost exactly like Anti-Flag. Then already on the next track "Not Me", the band turns things upside down sound wise, delving face first into melodic skate punk that sounds eerily similar to No Use For A Name (RIP Tony). Then you have "Non Violence Is A Luxury", a politically charged song with a ska/reggae rhythm, and "Organize The Committee (For Public Safety)", which sounds a lot like Authority Zero / Rise Against in its delivery.

But like I said, it could be just the band trying to different things, what works and what doesn't. Ironically, it's the song that sounds most like their LP that is by far the highlight on the disc, namely "Looking For A War" with its political message and catchy, melodic hardcore oriented chorus. "Not Me" is good too, though, but overall "Time & Pressure" is missing the magic of "Force Majeure". Not sure what the missing ingredient is other than consistency here, but it's just not hitting me as hard as that record did even after weeks of listening. That said, this is still a good record, and a good reminder for us fans that The Shell Corporation aren't just sitting idle.

7

Download: Looking For A War, Not Me
For the fans of: Anti-Flag, Rise Against, No Use For A Name, Authority Zero
Listen: Facebook

Release date 05.06.2012
Solidarity Records

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