Review: Blood In/Blood Out

Blood In/Blood Out
“No One Conquers Who Doesn’t Fight”
(Spook City)

Hardcore, hardcore, hardcore, blah, blah, blah.  So you can shout, big deal.  Who can’t shout, except for people who have lost their voice, like this one guy at work, who just makes weird motions and grunts a lot?  So the first track, “What Once Was Within”, has a total cock rock guitar solo that would make Eddie Van Halen blush with its audacity.  The second track (“Mesh Hat Black Hair”, in case you’re keeping score) begins exactly the same as the first track, minus the bossanova guitar.  Bad call, ‘cos that virtuoso solo was all “No One Conquers” had going for it.  Now, let’s get back to the shouting-Jaaron Sanford (an unusually soulful name for such a whitie) has got one of those yells that’s neither growl nor vocal, it’s more of an inflated chest boast, full of testosterone soaked lyrics like, “Don’t be surprised if I kick you when you’re down,” (“Behind False Names”) and “I am half tempted to reach out and smack [that look] off your face” (“Stand Hard and Fall Hard”).  If you think these sentiments sound similar to something Mr. Fred Durst would “sing” in one of his albums, I’d say you’ve got a fair point.  If you wonder why Britney Spears would make out with him instead of me, I’d say you’re not the only one.