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When Fever Hunting<\/em> dropped in 2013, it was reviewed like a monumental comeback record\u2014it was Modern Life Is War<\/strong> returning from a 7-year full-length sabbatical, it was a band freshly bolstered by a muscular new direction. It was also, unbeknownst to us, their last full-length record.<\/p>\n

Witness<\/em> and My Love, My Way<\/em> were generation defining hardcore records; the sound of that contemporaneous volcanic-eruption Deathwish beat tempered with tightness and melodic flair. Though often compared to bands like Ruiner<\/strong>, Killing The Dream<\/strong> and Blacklisted<\/strong>, Modern Life Is War played with tempo and tight syncopation in a way that separated them from the 2000s hardcore landscape, closer in spirit to Wire<\/strong> or The Nation Of Ulysses<\/strong> than it was to 108<\/strong> or Judge<\/strong>. Fever Hunting’s<\/em> return and expansion on this sound left questions regarding the band’s immediate future, questions that obviously weren’t answered. Tribulation Worksongs<\/em> still isn’t that answer, but is an interesting release for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n

An expanded collection of the Tribulation Worksongs<\/em> session from 2018, first released originally across three EPs\u2014a pair in 2018 and the final entry in 2021\u2014and hand-stamped with Jeff Eaton<\/strong>‘s typeface, now collected in its entirety. The tracklisting on the expanded compilation is reworked and is now underlined with an additional re-imagining courtesy of Rough Francis<\/strong>‘ Urian Hackney<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Beginning with the opener of both the original Tribulation Worksongs<\/em> EP and the new compilation, “Feels Like End Times” is a sharp turn in direction, most reminiscent instrumentally of the trajectory Ceremony<\/strong> took with their later albums, particularly a track like Zoo’s<\/em> “Hysteria”. It doesn’t immediately seem a million miles away from some of Fever Hunting’s<\/em> instrumentals, but to me it’s much more direct and less distinct. The broken chord angularity of their previous material is streamlined. That it was originally paired with b-side “Lonesome Valley Ammunitions” is interesting: a much more abrasive track, its swelling instrumental teases a violent explosion, and plays with this sense of unresolved tension throughout its runtime. A lot of Tribulation Worksongs<\/em> feel like it doesn’t get out of first gear, but “Lonesome Valley Ammunition” is one of the moments that embraces this elements in its songwriting.<\/p>\n

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“Revival Fires” is more familiar ground: a linear melodic progression bolstered by tasteful harmonic accents and leadwork. Centered around a persistent, simple drumbeat, it’s a track that has this grounded, thick feeling to it without being overtly heavy or abrasive. It also showcases the still-present knack Modern Life Is War has for building their tracks around these blistering crescendos. Its original b-side, “Indianapolis Talking Blues”, is a seemingly left-field choice that plays incredibly well. Hardcore has a long history of recitation, from on-stage dictation and political espousal to album interludes and instrumental breaks. Its title also draws a lineage between hardcore and blues, and by extension the lineage of blues through to hip hop; fuck, Eaton’s vocal delivery is even more than a little reminiscent of Sage Francis<\/strong>‘ Makeshift Patriot<\/em>, but that might be the mind of someone who listened to too much Anticon as a teenager.<\/p>\n

“Survival” is another unorthodox choice for a band like Modern Life Is War. A track that begins with a lot of swing to it, a track with a lot of broad appeal, or at least a lot more than is usual for Modern Life Is War. If not for the more discordant second-half, “Survival” is honestly radio-rock ready, which is why I like it so much. It’s a double rug-pull, first surprising you with a swaggering beginning, only to fake-out with a return to more brooding, heavier sounds as it finishes. It’s hard not to appreciate, even if only showcasing Modern Life Is War’s versatility. For the final original b-side, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” is solid in isolation, but a straight cover of a track like that is always going to seem a little neutered. Despite the heavier delivery, more strained vocals and harder edge, it’s difficult to emulate the rawness of a track like “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, a track defined as much by its context as it is by its sound.<\/p>\n