Album Review: Madball-Not Your Kingdom
Words by Anselm Anderson
NYC Hardcore Punk band Madball released their tenth studio effort today. "Not Your Kingdom" via Nuclear Blast Records. The quartet delivers fourteen high-tempo, aggressive tales of survival through conviction and pure punk energy.
Formed in 1988, the band originated as a side project for fellow New York Hardcore band Agnostic Front. They were formed by Fred Cricien, the younger half-brother of Agnostic Front vocalist Roger Miret. To date, Madball have released ten albums and four EPs, and they are often cited as an influence on the NYC Hardcore scene. I'm unfamiliar with the history of the band; this is the first release I've heard. I am always intrigued to listen to something new, so I was excited to give this one a listen after reading about the band.
Photo Credit: Dave Causa
Produced by Andrew Bayliss in Nashville, Tennessee, "Not Your Kingdom" doesn't feel like a political album. Instead, it presents itself as an emotionally charged expression of their frustrations with modern society. Each track on the fourteen-song release feels personal and hits like a sledgehammer to the face.
The opening track, "Tethered", has a fast tempo, raw energy and relentless power that strikes the listener immediately. The drumming and riffage build in intensity and pace to keep up with Meret's apocalyptic rage. This is a theme which continues throughout this well-paced release, with each track clocking in at under two minutes. This contributes to the volume and aggression of "Not Your Kingdom". Tracks like the 59-second "Flammable" are short and straight to the point, whilst the band experiments with writing anthemic tracks like the punchy "Rebel Kids", which is bound to raise a few fists in the air, rather than in the face. There are some calmer tracks like the thirty-second prelude "Rebelude", which segues into Rebel Kids.
Vocalist Fred Cricien doesn't hold back with his rage-like vocals on "Don't Misstep", as he warns I'm a soldier first, You're One Step, Don't Misstep. I like how there is a balance to this album. The album clocks in at thirty minutes and features fourteen tracks, which is a lot for that time duration. The instrumentals help break up the pace and intensity of the releases, with some tracks sharing more grooves than others. For example, Tracks like "Stab Wounds" have fast tempos combined with those grooves, which help enhance the intensity and build to a satisfactory climax with more riffs. In contrast, tracks like "Family First" have those tuned-up, distorted riffs that sound thick and dirty.
Overall, Madball continues to feature as a prominent force in the scene, delivering an uncompromising, unwavering and explosive half hour of hardcore punk and metal.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR MADBALL ARE POSTED BELOW
https://www.nuclearblast.com/pages/madball
https://www.facebook.com/madballNYC/
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