Sworn Enemy – Total World Domination
“Sell My Soul” is the first vocal line screamed by Sal LoCoco whose regathering with Tim Lambesis on co-production pretty much guarantees what your ears are going to be given this time around from Queens, NY own, SWORN ENEMY. Sal goes on to state, “I won’t sell my soul,” which is the statement that runs through his veins. While initially coming across as a standard hardcore band when signed to Elektra, SWORN ENEMY has gone through label changes, member changes, and refined their musical direction which takes us to Total World Domination which hits stores on June 16.
Complete with a new, more intense rhythm section, Sid Caballero on Bass and Jerad Buckwalter on Drums, guitarists Lorenzo Antonucci and Jamie Hunt seemed to have been pushed to become better musicians as evident in their melodies and precision leads in “Run For Shelter.” In fact, some more of their talent is displayed courageously on “Lies” and “Disconnect” as well. While they still have their SLAYER moments like at the 1:58 mark of “Still Hating,” and their ANTHRAX grooves like “Ready To Fight” at 45 seconds, they remain themselves lyrically to the fullest extent which stops them from being another joke modern thrash band and gives them their true NYHC image complete with ample breakdowns throughout the 10 tracks.
While Total World Domination is not going to set any new trends or be known for creating a new genre, there is enough tough guy imagery, HC anthems, and driving metal rhythms to create exactly what SWORN ENEMY have come to be known for in 2009 – a solid, short but sweet album with enough punching power to KO Chuck Liddell.
Rating: 9/10
Label: Century Media
Website: www.myspace.com/swornenemy
By Mark Thompson
(+18 rating, 6 votes)
gay
Every review here gets an 8 or 9. Amazing, i didn’t know that so many awesome records come out constantly.
Can we please get a real review here, once, with some actual musical criticism? Not everything is this good just because it’s heavy and loud.
There exists the possibility that the reviewer actually liked the album. Just saying.
My point is that every reviewer here loves everything. Review something that came out by an important band that ISN’T good so we know not to listen to it. It’s just getting tiresome to read the same crap over and over again…
I agree with you Andrew. Not to mention they are missing up a lot of great albums.
Such as the first helping of pure Melodic Death I have heard in years by Unanimated.
Now I know I don’t need a review to tell me what to listen to but the reviews (or lack of them) are lackluster. They offer no entertaining point of view on any of them. But some albums get overlooked like Chimaira’ Infection that I would love to see what they say. It’s been out and you don’t post a review for it but you review something not out yet like Sworn Enemy? I love SMNnews for just that, news but to read other’s opinions on albums, this is not the place.
- E
The reason every album here gets a 8 or 9 is because why would you spend your time to write a review if you thought it sucked? If a terrible album was released, and I listened to the whole thing, the last thing I would want to do is write a full in depth review of it, unless if there was some serious incentive for me.