Album Review: Verse - 'Aggression'

2008 seems to be the year for hardcore bands to release career-defining records, and with the enormous response to the recent offerings from Have Heart and Carpathian still fresh in our collective minds, you can add the latest effort from Verse to the list. From start to finish, the band’s third full length, aptly titled Aggression, is a flawlessly written and perfectly executed record that demands your attention.

Although it would be easy for detractors to argue that Verse are just another group trading in their circle-pit friendly riffs for the currently popular slow and dirty style of hardcore, the band’s passionate performance proves that they are at the front of the field.

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From the cleanly picked intro to the layered guitar work that drives the remainder of the song, “The New Fury” is a shining example of just how much Verse’s song writing has developed over the last eighteen months. “Old Guards, New Methods” starts off with a fairly standard double time beat, however the commanding vocal delivery and memorable riffs give the song an edge that many of today’s bands are lacking. With its driving tempo and well constructed guitar interplay, “Suffering To Live, Scared To Love” stakes its claim as one of Aggression’s standout tracks, while “Signals” is a short burst that reminds the listener that Verse still know how to put their foot to the floor.

The initially sparse guitar work of “Scream” allows the album’s stellar production job to shine through, as no one instrument overpowers the other, all of which gives Sean (vocals) the perfect platform to spit his lyrics at us. Spanning three songs is the “Story Of A Free Man”, a musical journey that covers all of the Verse elements. From brooding guitars and dominant drumming to plodding bass lines and fiery lyrics, this musical trio has it all, although the forty-second blast that is “Blind Salvation” still manages to sound musically cohesive even though it’s a huge stylistic change compared to the bulk of the album’s material.

Driving bass-lines are the order of the day when it comes to “Unlearn”, however it’s the guitars that again take the spotlight by the time the song’s bridge rolls around, which just leaves “Earth And Stone” and “Sons And Daughters” to round out a near flawless record, the former being one of the strongest tunes Verse has penned to date.

In a year when countless bands have released quality records that are deserving of your hard earned, Verse have given you another title to add to your shopping list. If you don’t already have this album, sort it out.