I’ve read the name before but this is my first experience of LA hardcore outfit Cutthroat. Well, the name kind of gives the game away – pop punk it ain’t. Opening with Nothing To Prove, this is a monster of a track. Buzzing guitars and a heavy groove that bring to mind a mid-paced Death Threat cruncher.

A breadth of other influences soon appear, such as the haunting backing vocals on the second track Lay Low. On Wrong Road the hip hop touches become more apparent before breaking down into a dramatic beat-down finale. So the album progresses, building on those foundations of hardcore, beat down, metal and hip-hop crossover to create a juggernaut of an album. Lots of down-tuned chugging keep things hard and heavy with frequent breakdowns and varied songs to keep you interested. Rock solid and with a heavy Billy Graziadei (Biohazard) production to keep things crisp. Tom Chapman