Officer Down

Item: Subversive Paradigm
Author: Grindboy

Subversive Paradigm

(1998)

Reviewed by Grindboy

Discogs YouTube

Label Goodfellow RecordsDead Zine1998

hardcore hardcore punk metalcore

Hardcore from Canada, eh?

Officer Down (NOT to be confused with Officer Negative, mind you) comes storming out of Manitoba with some of the best hXc I've heard in a while. While they are easily categorized as hXc, what I like about them is that they don't shy away from stepping slightly outside the lines on occasion. Despite being 90% typical hardcore the 10% variation takes the whole album up a notch. Be it the Vomitorial Corpulence-ish "Rash" or the blast-beat sections in "at Hand", Officer Down will deliver exactly what you're looking for . . . plus that little something extra that it takes to stand out in the genre.

Musically, I really like this disc a lot. Good fast sections, great intense grooves, and something more than your standard 1-2-1-2.

So why the mediocre rating? Unfortunately, I really don't like the vocals too well. While they don't necessarily get in the way of enjoying the music, they certainly don't add anything, either. The guy just sounds strained, tired, and like he's in some degree of pain, you know? Also, it doesn't sound as if he's screaming from conviction, more exasperation. Maybe this is how you like your hXc vox, and if so, this is your band for sure, but it's not my approach of choice.

Lyrically, OD tackles a good deal of typical issue-oriented stuff ("The implications of consumption fashion our own destruction. . .") but does also find room for some God, and while this certainly isn't Unashamed, the listener should have a good idea of the band's religious persuasion by record's end.

All in all, a very good band with a pretty good cd. There's a lot of hXc out there that I haven't heard, but this is among the better of those that I have.

7.5/10