Review: Death Threat

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Death Threat
“For God and Government”
(Triple Crown Records)

Do you ever watch those “World’s Strongest Man” competitions on ESPN?  Of course not-they’re redundant and boring.  Sometimes I feel hardcore gets trapped in that same “anything you can do I can do harder” mentality, sucking the life out of a once vital movement.  “For God and Government” is a great hardcore record that isn’t afraid to branch out from the expected.  More than just brutal power chords, Death Threat combines just a tinge of melody and a pinch of catchiness that allows this one to break free from the one-dimensionality plaguing so many acts in this genre.  Rest assured that Death Threat kicks up more dust than Nomar Garciaparra sliding headfirst into home.  Full of no nonsense, short and sweet tracks about classism, sexism, racism, and societal ills, Death Threat’s messages are as immediate as they are powerful.  My favorite track on the album (for personal reasons) is their cover of Operation Ivy’s ‘Bombshell’, which goes to show DT isn’t too concerned about being the hardest of hardcore bands.  Don’t sleep on this one-it’ll crush you like that Magnus Samuelsson guy flipping a VW over and over in the “Volkswagen Flipping Over and Over” contest.