Reviewed by J Peter Wilson

Blindside are from Sweden and were very quickly snapped up by Tooth & Nail Records for their hardcore sub-label Solidstate. It isn't very difficult to see why, when you hear this little gem. There definitely is no other band that sound like this one. Blindside mix rapcore with catchy riffs, strong melodies and absolute heaviness to create a potent sound. They come off sounding like a very original mixture of Deftones, early Fugazi and even a little Nirvana rather than another Rage Against The Machine clone. The opener, "Invert", is blistering rapcore with a chorus you won't forget in a hurry. "Empty Box'"s strangeness works marvellously and leaves you wondering how they made that one work. Nothing about this band is predictable except the fact that they can be very noisy and heavy! They do well to write lyrics in English given that they're Swedish, in fact they manage better than a lot who boast English as their first language. Mostly tackling pride and ignorance of some form or another, they do also sing of God's goodness and devotion such as in "Nerve" - "Beautiful Spirit talk to me/Holy Spirit walk with me." The song 'Teddybear" is simply God's word to one who has been saved but then starts running away from his presence - '...in your cry I'll always be near/But in your laughter I don't disappear..." This album is so fresh and original it is a must buy for any hard music listener.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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