Album Review

Barricade
Be Heard


“Hardcore, it’s as American as apple pie and fake wars…”
- Henry Rollins
My first thought when listening to Barricade’s new album, Be Heard (out on Creep Records), was that I haven’t listened to Agnostic Front in a while. At ten songs, none of which are over three minutes long, the record burns white hot from beginning to end. Filled with anger and intensity, the album does fall into a lot of “hardcore pitfalls,” such as vocals that keep it locked into screaming, guitar parts that repeat themselves like a parrot with Alzheimer’s and drums that rely on the symbols to the point that you wonder why they even bother including tom-toms in the kit.
Lyrically, the music takes an unrelenting look at themes such as racism, corruption and the plight of the working class. Each song feels like anthem for the disillusioned and channels that frustration into intense three-minute packages
Of course, these are all qualities that fans of hardcore are looking for. Barricade has produced a solid album that is not going to disappoint.

Posted by
Matthew Byrd