Hot Blood – Overcome Part One EP (Basement Records)
The classic hardcore sound is nowhere near as popular as it has been, so it\’s always good to hear a band deliver the old fashioned way. New Jersey\’s Hot Blood have hit on the right blend of sounds on their debut four-song EP. This is chock full of speed, power and enthusiasm, easily shifting between gears from mid-paced circle-pit moshers up into slamming thrash parts, and back down, all within the space of a minute and a half. If you want some references, think Life\’s Halt, Violent Society or Common Enemy, skating, thrashing and raging hardcore that always brings a smile. Of course, they haven\’t reinvented the wheel but hell, when the wheel does exactly what you need it to do, why mess with the formula?! Tom Chapman