Best Wishes

This essential followup to the timeless "Age of Quarrel" is a must-own piece of crossover. It may not bear the same standard of perfect the original record attained but it's a worthy purchase in it's own right. Harley takes over the vocal department on this one and it works out well suprisingly. His shriek fits the newly metallic riffcore with reckless abandon. The band themselves are also in fine form crafting pounding riffs and melodies for Harley to shout over. The production values are top notch and the metal edge is more prevalent (but not damaging) than it was before. If the Cro-Mags could have kept with this step by step evolution they'd still be putting out perfect records to this day. Even so, this and the hammering debut are statement enough for Harley and company.

The material on this album varies a little more in quality than the stunning debut but classic songs are around every corner. The beyond-brutal "Death Camps" slays any toughguy hardcore before and after it. "Crush the Demoniac" sets a pounding standard that Pantera and their followers failed to match and "Days of Confusion" slides along with a certain NYHC groove that hammers with brutal metal guitarwork. The other songs don't dissapoint, though this CD lacks the "one highlight after another" feel of the first.

The Cro-Mags fell off the quality wagon at this point and released some "ok" albums that didn't even begin to touch the firepower of the first few releases. Even so, you can buy the first two powerhouse records on one CD at this point so why even bother looking for the rest?

BUY OR DIE!!!

http://www.cromags.com