Band : The Struggle

Album title : Crushed

Label : No More Records

Distributor : No More Records

Release date : April 2008

Release : 8-track MCD

Every once in a while, you'll find a band chooses its name with a sense of premonition. Such certainly is the case with Antwerp based Belgian Hardcore act The Struggle.

It all started positively enough in late 2004 with 4 the friends Dieter (vocalist), Christopher (guitar), Yskout (bass) and Nijs (drums) getting together with the idea to play early '90s Hardcore alà Strife, mixed with additional influences from Judge, Sick of It All, and some more contemporary Hardcore. In February 2006, the boys recorded a 3-track demo tape, and soon after they saw themselves booked to play shows with American bands like Hand To Hand, 100 Demons, Paint It Black, Since By Man, and Walls Of Jericho, as well as such classy European acts as Born From Pain, Liar, Malkovich, The Setup and many more. Then the bandname comes to haunt the guys in the form of surgery, personal issues within the band, and job-related problems, leading to too many cancelled shows...and missed opportunities.

But the guys refused to give up, and in November 2006 they were finally able to pick up things where they'd left off...perhaps a little more bitter than before, but definitely sounding rawer and more pissed off than ever before! Determanied to re-establish themselves, the boys worked their asses off, playing every show they could get, and eventually found themselves at CCR studio to record 5 new songs. After playing even more shows in a short period, anticipation towards the release of the 5 new songs began to grow among the band's fanbase, so the quartet decided to go look out for a label to make it an official release. The Hardcore scene in essence being a scene where friendship is valued strongly, the guys went a-knocking at the door of their friends' No More Records, and both parties soon came to an agreement for the release of àll recorded The Struggle songs with an original release date slated for Fall 2007. Regretfully, the singer again came across some personal problems, which delayed the release for a while. Meanwhile, the band was working on the realisation of a dream they'd had since two years, namely the addition of a second guitarist to the line-up, and in November they announce the fact that crazy axe shredder Hans would be joining them on stage starting February 22, 2008...at which time The Struggle would also introduce two new songs to their set-list. Meanwhile, the band closed the year in a positive light, having played a total of 18 shows including supports to American acts Bane, Ceremony, Have Heart, and Palehorse, Portuguese band Killing Frost, and Ducth act Said And Done. On the local front, the guys were proud to have become close friends to Daggers, Nuns Go Riot, Shredder, and Teenage Lust.

In early February, guitarist Christopher returns from the mail box with a package containing the 8 songs, all nicely mastered by CCR's Kris Belaen. The sound is loud, hard, and a definitive positive in the life of The Struggle. Work on the CD's artwork immediately starts. But, the band's name again kicks up its negative head, when Hans decides nót to join The Struggle after all, due to conflicting schedules...and in stead of starting new auditions, the guys decide to simply continue as a fourpiece! The sad news comes along with a more positive note that the artwork for the CD is finished, the disc finally ready to hit the stores in early May, co-inciding with three release shows for which the guys invited a couple of their befriended bands (Fallen, Shredder, The Setup, Daggers, Teenage Lust),as well as others.

As for the music, the band's own description of their influences (see above) really does the trick perfectly, so expect short (from 81 seconds to a max of 139, making the mini-album clock in at just under 15 minutes), sharp shocks of slightly Metallic but definitely Hardcore anthems with an obligatory break somewhere in the middle. The Mosh factor is high, and a certain degree of technicality on the guitar ensures a melodic content which makes the whole so compellingly attractive...even if the singer shouts/ screams his merry little head off throughout the 8 songs! Check it out for yourselves by surfing to myspace.com/thestrugglesucks, where you'll find 4 of the 8 tracks posted. I'm sure that once you've heard those 4 tracks, you'll agree with me that The Struggle deserves a break from the negative side of their band name. Their music sure has the potential to break through in a major way...but for that the guys are gonna need a break from their problems. Aother positive break would be to be picked up by a slightly bigger label, able to spread the band's name outside Belgian borders! Personally, I like a lot, a whole lot, but I reserve my year-list nomination for a full-length album!

94/100

Tony.