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October File

Holy Armour From The Jaws Of God

Written by: DY on 14/12/2007 03:33:24

October File isn't happy and they want you to know it. Their discontent with the world is a theme that carries unmercifully through the 45 minutes of the band's second album, "Holy Armour From The Jaws Of God". Grievances with issues ranging from climate change to war, corruption and religion are all packed into a collection of brutal hardcore songs and jammed down your ear holes, ready to self destruct upon pressing the 'play' button.

The songs are intense, but not chaotic, they are interesting but fairly simple in structure. The riffs are catchy and bass work demands to be heard, while the drums on the album are unsatisfyingly average. What really stands out on this album is the conviction in frontman Ben Hollyer's aggressive vocals as he belts out his pessimistic views on the state of today's world. Despite the obvious seriousness and strong beliefs that lie within Hollyer's lyrics, his ability to add humor into the mix provides the listener with a break from the otherwise constant onslaught of belligerence that is this album. The most memorable example of this is certainly "High Octane Climate Changer" which, after one glance of the title, needs no description of content. Suffice to say though, that Hollyer's lyrics within it make me laugh out loud every time I hear them.

The music itself is gripping, and while there is often a lot of repetition in the riffs ("Another Day"), it stands tall in its relentlessness and there's no doubt about the fact that once you get songs like "Friendly Fire" going you'll do well to fight the uncontrollable urge to start headbanging. The guitar effects used in "Hallowed Be Thy Army" give the song a new dynamic while "A Sun That Never Sets" shows the band's ability to write a song pushing the 8 minute mark that doesn't get boring. The song is also a rare chance to hear some of Hollyer's clean vocal work which allows for the famous 'clean to screaming' dynamic to flourish.

This album is October File's battle cry and as they say in "A Munition's Crusade", they are 'ready to fight'. It's passionate and honest, and it's dealing with real issues that are impacting the world in which we live today. Other reviews have criticized October File for stealing a little too much from Killing Joke ("A Sun That Never Sets"), but if you are unfamiliar with the latter, or just don't care as long as the record sounds good then that's not going to concern you. Simply put this album delivers an entirely meaningful message in a relentless fashion and is a worthwhile addition to your hardcore music collection.

Download: High Octane Climate Changer
For The Fans Of: Killing Joke, Ministry
Listen: Myspace

Release Date 29.10.2007
Candlelight Records
Provided by Target ApS