Ganbaru

Declaration

Written by: MAK on 30/11/2015 23:06:16

In 2015, quite a few hardcore favourites from various countries and continents such as Rotting Out, Breaking Point, Survival, Trial & Error, War Charge plus many more have decided it would be best to end their careers on a high. When several bands you like of a certain genre start to call it quits, you look for similar bands to fill the void. Australian outfit Ganbaru look like they could be the answer to hardcore fans questions with their latest release “Declaration”.

The opening song and title track kicks off with high energy, gang shouts of “THIS IS A DECLARATION!” trigger bouncy beats and riffs to match that could lift any crowd off their feet. Straight away I pick up a mixture of hardcore and street punk – imagine a three-way crossover between early Comeback Kid, Risk It!, and Rotting Out. The production is raw along with the distorted guitar tones. Adam Thomas’ vocals are also whiny and shouty like a small yappy type dog, similar in a way to both the vocalist of Risk it! and Scott Wade - the former vocalist of Comeback Kid. Of course I don’t mean that in a bad way as it works well for Ganbaru, as it did for the other bands.

There isn’t anything unique or remotely special about Ganbaru’s sound to pull you in as a listener. The upbeat tone and “live fast die fun” attitude unleashed by the Australians is what makes you want to listen to them more. There are various emotions unleashed throughout the different tracks, “One World” for one is angry and angst-ridden, then on the other hand “Bleeding Hearts” is fun and bouncy and full of positive vibes. “The Crucible” is the only stand out track to be different from the rest, it is an atmosphere building instrumental track that works as an intro piece to the final track “Closing The Gap” - which in itself is the only track that goes over the 3 minute mark and is possibly the most anthemic track on the album.

What holds “Declaration” back is possibly the same thing that drives it forward, it all depends on the listener’s preference. The album is quite one dimensional in sound, as even though the emotions shift, the tones of the sound do not and it seems hard to differentiate some songs from others. That might be off-putting for those who love diversity in sound, yet average hardcore albums do tend to stick to the same formula a lot of the time.

What is great is that even with that lack of diversity, no songs overstay their welcome. In fact, we have a 30-minute album full of songs that could create carnage in any room. I get the feeling that Ganbaru are extremely enjoyable live from this album alone and they their shows match the same high energy and intense vibes.

6

Download: Declaration, Bleeding Hearts, Closing The Gap
For The Fans Of: Rotting Out, Comeback Kid, Risk It, Refused, Cancer Bats
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 23.10.2015
Self-Released

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