One peep at the cover, Frank Frazetta's rendition of muscle-bound humanoids clutching clubs and roaming a barren Earth, and you know where we're going: deeper and deeper into raw life psychosis. The gnawing, slobbering, brain-drilling pastiches crafted on the first two records gave good indication to their direction (once described by this writer as a beaten dog mashing its snout into Stop & Think and Ted Nugent records), but this little teaser seals it: The Rival Mob is the best band in hardcore.
Sure, the prospect of a new record had me a little wary. Wary they couldn't replicate the wild-eyed fury they'd captured thus far, wary that the proverbial freak-lightning of yesterday wouldn't strike twice and wary that they might fall into the trap that so many 'core bands fall into: recording an LP instead of a 7". But I'm a jabroni and my concerns have been allayed, for this Mob Justice promo is more nihilistic, more batshit buffoony and more "mosh-into-a-brick-wall" bonkers than anything before it....and contain my favorite songs in the canon.
The paincave percussion sound they capture ranks as ruddy and murky as a rat's taint, but still manages to sound punchy and concrete. Brendan Radigan has one of the most astounding vocal commands in hardcore (you've heard Battle Ruins right? How about Magic Circle?) caterwauling all over the damn place and the riffs are like razorwire.
With an intro that summons their caustic brand of police-siren axe squalling and a DFJ signature pounding, "Be Somebody" which contains the couplet "think you're real fuckin cool/from where I stand you're a fool" (is that a Morgado cameo?) and "Boot party" which warns PC's and Nazis to "get outta this place, or we just might party on your fuckin face," you know you're getting the royal stinkdog treatment.
The track "Mob Justice" is a thematic take-off of the classic Agnostic Front number, only with blast beats and an aural quality akin to sewer monsters playing cinder blocks instead of guitars and "Fake Big" is a mid-paced diatribe about bosses and work that should incite interested parties to run, screaming and hollering into a crowded intersection. Blitz's "We are the Boys" sounds triumphant ("ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Eddie Van Halen") and "Philcore for Philcore" should have you spraying choco-milk out your nose (Two words: Phil Anselmo).
Yup. The Rival Mob is recording an album for Revelation. Get serious.
Tape's sold out, so resort to pirating and ebay scouring.
Dylan Chadwick