Chain Whip: 14 Lashes 12″

Description

Debut LP from Vancouver and Neon Wastes own Chain Whip. Self released in North America and distributed by Neon Taste Records.

Our take: Latest release from these Canadian punks, and while I liked their 7, this one blows it out of the water. While the word hardcore refers to a narrow band of heavy, metallic music these days, Chain Whip is a throwback to a time when hardcore meant playing snotty punk as fast as possible. Their approach reminds me of the FUs in that Chain Whip isnt afraid of melody, but a big melody or hook isnt a requirement for every song. Thus, you get anthemic songs like Amber Alert and moody and melodic punkers like the Dead Kennedys-esque Turner Street Ghost Motel, but when Chain Whip wants to lay into a fast hardcore song, they dont pull any punches, approaching these tracks with the ferocity of bands like Loose Nukes and Blood Pressure. Every once in a while theres a record like the Zero Boys Vicious Circle, Career Suicides Attempted Suicide, or the Carbonas second album that seems to have everything that you want from both punk and hardcore. 14 Lashes is accomplished enough to stand alongside those monumental records.