It’s November, and I think I’ve found my album of the year, guys.
With this record, Show Me The Body have taken real steps to bring proper hardcore to the mainstream, but unlike Turnstile and Drug Church before them, the band hasn’t incorporated pop elements at all. SMTB’s sound is full-on and packed to the brim with raw heaviness, and a fu**ing banjo, mate.
This is not to say that tracks like ‘WW4’ and ‘Out Of Place’ don’t display a softer, more melodic side, but the real “meat” here is the band’s uncompromising dedication to promoting values of unity through intense, provocative alternative music – perfect examples of this are ‘Boils Up’ and ‘Radiator’. Love and respect, fu** with the set is the resounding message.
Really, ‘Trouble The Water’ has everything you would want from a game-changing hard-hitting heavy music album in 2022, and that comes through Harlan Steed’s dynamic riffs, Jackie’s bulldozing hip-hop beats, and the honest ferocity of Julian’s vocals. ‘This collection is sonically powerful and it will make you consider falling in love with multiple genres, including hardcore punk and crossover hip-hop.
This album rules, and I will be playing this as a standout alternative and hardcore record for years to come.
Words: Dom Smith
Listen to: ‘We Came To Play’, ‘War Not Beef’, ‘Trouble The Water’
