CoC : All Out War - Condemned to Suffer : Review

All Out War - _Condemned to Suffer_
(Victory Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (8.5 out of 10)

It's hard to believe that just a few short years ago, New York's All Out War were mentioned in similar hushed tones to Hatebreed, a band who by all accounts have mounted a continual ascent what with Jamie Jasta now presenting Headbanger's Ball on MTV. In the meantime, All Out War have remained stationary in the relative obscurity of underground hardcore. The ultimate measure of any band is inevitably the music though, and on this level the playing field is decidedly more even, as _Condemned to Suffer_ is a seething lesson in musical violence that matches Hatebreed's last effort in every category. For their third release, All Out War have stepped up the cross-over element of their music by several notches, and more prevalent than ever is the tangible influence of albums like _South of Heaven_, _Game Over_ and _Among the Living_. This proves to be to their benefit, as they successfully avoid the pitfalls of combining old-school thrash with hardcore and end up sounding even more ferocious than they did on 1998's sterling _For Those Who Were Crucified_. This without a single shadow of a doubt one of the most barbarically angry records you'll hear for the next ten years.

Contact: http://www.victoryrecords.com

(article published 25/1/2004)