The Struggle – “Every Piece Can’t Fit”
Struggle- a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint.
Life is always a struggle. “It’s not worth it if it doesn’t come with pain.” “To get to where you want to go you have to sacrifice.”
You have to go to Rhode Island to get to where these Strugglers originate from. But though I know Brian the drummer is from Rhode Island hardcore band Reason To Fight, I do know that Chad and Bill the guitar players live in MA. So I’m not sure why I consider them a Rhode Island band?
But I do know that life is truly a struggle. That while the pure and wonderful is there, bubbling underneath, the cold and cruel are hovering above poised to smash it into the pavement to smithereens.
But the pure and wonderful, the true and raw can’t be corralled or corrupted in the long run. Truth, passion, creativity and fun win out in history and outlasts the unworthy. That’s why punk, metal and hardcore are still around and still inspire.
This is some old-school, heavy hardcore. That, I think, is pure and wonderful and full of truth, passion, creativity and fun.
Let’s examine the evidence.
“Get Off My Lawn” is a song Andy and I wrote for The Struggle so I might be slightly compromised in my assessment. Their version has different lyrics and the music is different, too. Me and Andy just get upset when youngsters soccer balls land on our nicely manicured lawns. I mean, one moment we’re trying to enjoy our next hit off the crack pipe and then these young terrorists are intentionally disturbing our high. But no fear of that happening in this song. This is pure hardcore along with a high-energy, rockin’ beat plus emphatic vocals. And the grinding guitars and answering vocals are just an added treat. This song is like a driving thrust that is full of guts and passion- like a rocket ship being shot into outer space only landing in the center of your heart. It all ends with an exciting finish. I don’t get off of their lawn but I sure get off on their music.
“Kuya” starts with a kind of call and response between the guitars and the rhythm section, but once it all kicks in it’s balls to the wall, casualties on impact, collision of sound and words in a tremendous eruption of emotion and aggression. There’s changing tempos, alternating vocals- but the spite and anger, intensity and velocity never waver in this true and awesome rockin’ hardcore tune. The chorus pulls up on the tempo but only increases the tension to a boil, overflowing once again. My favorite song on this EP.
“Sydney On The Bush” starts with some foreboding chords but once the drums kick it forwards- it’s a one hit to the beat, hardcore blast with great, strong vocals pressed against your face while the music explodes inside your soul. A breakdown with dirge-y, minor chords only gives a small respite before the whirlwind of sound leaps into your ears to annihilate your sense of well being and safety once again.
“Time To Move” is probably the most typical sounding hardcore song of the batch with it’s hyper-driven rhythm and growling, venom filled vocals projected over careening, crashing chords. This song pushes you into the pit, physically, or in the realm of confrontation, intellectually. Either way- the guts and passion of the music equally matches those of the words. And what is left is a mighty, hearty, helping heap of great hardcore/punk, truth and intelligence. If you’re not moved by this song then it’s time for you to move away from my sight.
This is The Struggle. And they’re grouped in with old-school hardcore, true hardcore and they should be rightfully proud of the fact. But there is also so much rockin’ energy on this disk, so much rock’n’roll fury and excitement that I feel obliged to notify that this EP really rocks, kicks ass and takes no prisoners.
This music is in your face, vocals clawing at your heart and mind while bombarding your ears and senses with momentous monuments of sound. And I dig it.
‘Cause this is passion not fashion. This is truth not alibis. This is sweat not indifference. This is infatuated love not faint praise.
This is guts not wishy-washy sentiments. This is allegiance not indulgence. A brotherhood not a corrupt deal.
This is your true self. Not your false-self, not your work-self, not your family function-self.
But the true core of your being presented naked, uncensored, uncompromised.
This is The Struggle- that you live and breathe everyday.
Accept it.
(Slimedog)
