96 “Caught in the Grips” Album Review (hardcore)
96
“Caught in the Grips”
Hotfoot Records
review by Taylor Pesqueira
96 is a five-piece hardcore band from New Jersery that have been part of the scene since 2010. Tearing up the stage with Cro Mags, Suicidal Tendencies, and Sick Of It All to name a few.
available 2.19.2013
Track List
1. Had Enough
2. Losing Grip
3. Darker Days
4. Fast Money
5. Hard Luck
6. Culture Shock
7. Stray Dogs
8. Dried Up
9. Walk About
10. 16 Inches
11. Iced Tea
12. Last Part
13. Rise Up
Hardcore was never a genre that I fell in love with but I do have a soft spot for it when I’m in the mood to smash some shit or to get pumped up for something rad. One of my favorite things about hardcore is that it is short fast and heavy; it’s fueled with adrenaline and that is something that 96 brings to the table. 13 songs in 22 minutes is all you need to get you through a face smashing time. I originally didn’t like that the album had more than it’s fair share of slow breakdowns, but sometimes you need it when the music is pumping out so fast and the breaks are put together at the perfect times and as soon as the break is done it immediately picks up.
The intro to an album can either make or break how you feel about an album and what kind of impression it leaves you with. 96 knew what they were doing when they picked Had Enough as their intro track. This song has a flair of metal that sounds rad when the pace of the song jumps around with the perfect hardcore flow. I like that I can actually make out the words so I could chant along if I ever felt compelled to.
16 inches has a rhythm build up that is infectious and caught my attention right away. A hardcore song about delivering pizza seems kind of silly, but one of my favorite bands is The Descendents so there goes that argument. Either way this song gets you pissed about all the stuff you hate at work, so if you’re a babysitter that changes shitty diapers it will make you want to throw the shitty diaper clear across the room and then you can listen to 16 Inches again while you clean the skid marks off the wall. Rad musically funny lyric content.
“Caught In The Grips” will have your brain feeling like it’s doing kamikaze stage dives at a nose breaking pace for the better part of the album(Last Part, Darker Days, Hard Luck, and Walk About). Even though hardcore isn’t my go to for music listenings 96 leaves me with a good impression as a band and as part of the genre (hardcore). Overall I say it’s a decent album and I encourage you to check them out and form your own opinion. The music and energy was there but at the end of it all it made me aware of the band and I’m going to keep an eye out for 96 to see what they have going on in the future.
http://ninetysix.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/NinetySixNJ
http://www.hotfootrecords.com/
Instagram: @96NJ
About the Author
Denise Borders 39, Los Angeles. Denise founded PWV in 2008 and remains the primary manager and photographer/videographer. She is not secretly obsessed with Joey Cape.
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