Hiretsukan - 2002 Invasive/Exotic

Band : Hiretsukan

Album : Invasive/Exotic

Release Year : 2002

Genre : Screamo / Hardcore / Punk

Tracklist :

1 Lender of the Last
2 Michael Cosgrove
3 Barrell Roll
4 Driver
6 New Lamp Standard
7 Creeping Death (Metallica Cover)

Hiretsukan is a New York-based band that formed in 1998 just outside of Washington, D.C. In the following years, they recorded their "Brown Bag" demo, and went out on a few small tours. After a few volatile years which saw several collective moves and incarnations, the group solidified its line-up and relocated to New York City.

Loud and brooding, this sociopolitical group tends to hit the listener over the head with their message with bloodcurdling wails. Lead singer Michelle tends to create little in the way of substance on the opening "Lender of the Last," but the hardcore punk of "Michael Cosgrove" is a slight improvement. The musicianship is about average for such an album, but the intensity of each track is definitely a positive, even if it sounds a bit over-produced and far too polished. "Barrell Roll" is the best track here, but even then it's not saying very much. "Sidesplitter" is the most accessible song, coming off as a hard punk rock number despite the nu-metal overtones. Unfortunately, the group doesn't seem to have much in the way of originality, although the heavy metal attempt on "Creeping Death," a Metallica cover, is a brief positive.

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