Band: Liferuiner
Release: Future Revisionists
Release Date: 4th June, 2013
Future Revisionists, the sophomore album from Toronto’s Liferuiner, is a refreshing dose of raw hardcore. It boasts all the assault, aggression, and passion that is to be expect from a band with such a name, but it’s achieved in a manner that is neither false nor forced. It’s completely genuine, and that shines through.
The introductory single ‘Vacant‘ hits in with the darker side of hardcore that is slower and more progressive. But the album really ignites on ‘Waivered Lives‘, where the verses are reminiscent of an early Parkway Drive and the breakdowns rival The Ghost Inside. Jonathan O’Callaghan vocals even sound like an early Winston McCall and, despite its DIY feel, the record becomes more and more professional as it plays.
Future Revisionists just seems to get heavier and heavier as well. ‘Fissure’ is littered with fast and bouncy moments, whilst a slow and butchered up breakdown is the focal point of the two-and-a-half minute whirlwind ‘Despair’. Yet, this album has more to it than just heaviness, as there are some huge choruses on offer, with ‘C.O.P.E’ possessing the best of them. They’re not really traditional, and there certainly isn’t any singing, but that’s exactly where the skill lies: they’ve managed to draw out melody from raw screams and gritty guitar tones when they have little right to do so.
After a turbulent past, Liferuiner have settled down and produced something great in Future Revisionists. The rough production provides character, whilst the honest lyrics add a true and genuine feel to the album. At times it’s very dark, and at others full of hope, and that has gone along way in creating a meaningful record that still packs a punch when it chooses to.
8/10
Reviewer: Matt Borucki
