This is the second album from Orange County Hardcore veterans Winds Of Promise, who formed following a phone call between Joe D Foster and Pat Longrie of the band Unity. They soon filled out a line-up recruiting former Ignite & Triggerman singer Joe Nelson and picking up bassist Mike Kenyon along the way. The Orange County hardcore sound runs in these guys veins and you can hear those roots, but with Wind Of Promise these guys take you on a fabulous musical journey across the USA.

It would be a piece of cake for them to rehash some Uniform Choice or Ignite inspired tunes and no doubt they would be great ones at that, but Winds Of Promise isn’t about sitting still. For motivation, they have cast their gaze and ears across the country, to DC in particular. Taking cues from names such as Embrace, Dag Nasty or Ignition, Cut. Heal. Scar is very much an emotional journey, with lots of single note picking and sound textures, instead of simple rattled out power chords.

Lyrically they drive their message home by working with shorter texts that are often repeated for effect. Similar to the “Revolution Summer” bands, the focus is on self-reflection – the personal is also the political. Although Joe has sang in numerous bands over the years, this style fits his voice like a glove, as he blends shouting, singing and spoken passages with ease. Cut. Heal. Scar is a great collection of songs that anyone with more than a passing interest in the bands mentioned is going to adore Tom Chapman