Incendiary Is Focused and Determined With Their Thousand Mile Stare
If you were a young buck or doe back in the late 90’s/early 2000’s who found themselves spin kicking and windmilling to all the great hardcore that emerged from that era, you likely enjoyed the outputs from the likes of such as Earth Crisis, Hatebreed, and Indecision to name a few. The latest from Long Island, NY’s Incendiary is poised to take you back there, so get out the spackle because you are going to need it to patch up all the punch and kick holes that are going dot the walls of the sheetrock of your humble abode.
Incendiary pretty much has their foot on the gas for the entire duration of the ten tracks over the course of the twenty-eight minute runtime of Thousand Mile Stare. If you are looking to get a hold of some oxygen to get yourself a reprieve from all the stop and go stomping, chug-heavy riffment, and straightforward stylings of Incendiary’s attack, then you are going to be hard pressed for air. The main influence on this record that stands out would be the chaotic guitar phrasings that can be found throughout Turmoil’s 1999 classic, The Process Of. That alone however is not the singular element that comprises of Incendiary’s sound. Take the moshy sections of traditional New York Hardcore, add some Snapcase, the slowed down portions of Slayer and you have yourself a formula for quite an impactful musical experience. The Snapcase influence takes center stage with the opening riff on “Hanging From The Family Tree” with its repetitive loop of a lead guitar lick that relies more on feel than technicality. While Thousand Mile Stare is a record that mainly hangs around at mid pace tempos, this track launches into thrashy punk territory to move the track forward. “Awakening” takes the use of a power chord-driven riff for the chorus of the song and then proceeds to chop up the riff to further intensify the festivities. And if you want a track to that will serve as your introduction to Incendiary, then “The Product Is You” is a surefire crowd pleaser from the second it starts until the moment it ends. The hammer on guitar riffs into the cymbal grabs that give way to mid-paced Slayer riff that follows will limber you up for the climatic breakdown that swoops in and mops the floor with everything in its path.
Another part of Incendiary that makes them tick are the vocal contributions from frontman Brendan Garrone. The urgency and energy of these songs would most certainly get lost if the vocals were your traditional tough guy fare. Garrone’s shouted delivery offsets the musical sections that rely heavily on hanging around the lower registers on the neck of the guitars. You hardly notice because when the two join forces, it’s hard to find fault with how well they work in concert with each other. And the vocals are delivered with the intent of having the listener being able to discern what the band’s message is all about. Even without the benefit of a lyric sheet, you can rest assured that the band’s message is not one of boasting and bravado, but instead touches on issues of civil rights, gun control and poverty.
The recording on Thousand Mile Stare is another aspect that propels the album. Anyone who has ever attended a hardcore show knows that the live experience is just as important as the recorded one. Wil Putney (who also recorded notable acts such as Every Time I Die and The Acacia Strain) definitely captures the essence of a live performance by putting all the guitars, drums and vocals front and center to give the listener an intimacy that one might experience in a live setting. Every hit of the drums punches hard and the crash cymbals have the effect of glass shattering all around you with every strike of the drum stick. Making the album sound any more pristine would’ve sucked out all the vibrance and passion that Incendiary channels through their music.
Incendiary captures the spirit of New York Hardcore with a metallic precision that should have not only the ear of the discerning hardcore type, but also the metalhead who identifies the intrinsic relationship between the two. Thousand Mile Stare is the adrenaline to the ears that will have you flying high and feeling invincible once you have it coursing through your veins.
4/5 Flaming Toilets Ov Hell
Thousand Mile Stare is available now through Closed Casket Activities. If you desire to get a hold of the album through bandcamp, you can do so right here. Connect with Incendiary on Facebook and let them know that the Toilet inspired you to destroy all the sheetrock in your house or the cubicle in your work place after hearing this album.
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