The Curse
“Self-Titled”
(Hell Bent Records)
Whoa. I wish this wasn’t an EP. The Curse just crammed a double LP’s worth of fireworks into a twelve-minute sonic explosion. I was just sitting here, minding my own business when all of a sudden my speakers exploded and East Coast hardcore came crashing out, punching me in the nose and kicking me in the groin. Ben Wolfgang’s voice reminds me of Hot Water Music but the music is pure Kill Your Idols with a touch of Good Riddance thrown in for flavor.
All six songs rip with a rawness that simply cannot be faked. The frenetic pace set on the opening track, “Lifeboat”, is continued throughout the release with nary a break from the onslaught in sight. This EP should come with a warning label. I’m pretty sure it’ll do you a lot more harm than those cigarettes in your back pocket. Yeah, didn’t think I knew about that, didja? Well, I know something else: The Curse will be coming to your town along with Avail and Hey Mercedes soon, so board up your windows because the whirlwind is coming and I’ve got a feeling these guys live might be more fun than the Olsen twins after a fifth of Bacardi.
