S.O.S. – I Owe You Nothing

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Featuring an all star cast with members from hardcore legends Madball, Hatebreed, and Terror, as well as newcomers Trapped Under Ice, I Owe You Nothing is the debut EP from S.O.S. Given that hardcore has been rather savagely mutated into the current wave of sub-par emo/death/metalcore, it is extremely refreshing to see S.O.S. have a very old school take on the genre. If you’re familiar with any of the bands the members are from, then you roughly know what to expect – tone down any metal content significantly, and you are pretty much there. This is no-frills hardcore, with little focus on breakdowns or modern trappings, and sticking to the genre’s streetwise sound. This is amplified by vocalist Scott Vogel’s delivery, which is slightly (but only slightly) less gruff than it is with Terror. The majority of the songs are brief shots of hardcore, lasting only slightly longer than a minute each. The exception is Never A Brother, a traditional no-nonsense hardcore song about betrayal and fraternity. The only real negative is that this EP is terribly short, barely clocking over the ten minute mark. Despite this shortcoming, S.O.S. are a fresh blast of proper hardcore, and with the entire genre in desperate need of returning to its roots, an EP like this is very much appreciated.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, EPs, Hardcore/Metalcore, Quick.Play Reviews, S.O.S.