CoC : Tournament - Years Old : Review

Tournament - _Years Old_
(Forcefield, 2009)
by: Jeremy Ulrey (6.5 out of 10)

Following on the heels of 2007's critically acclaimed (by those who heard it) debut EP, _Swordswallower_, Brooklyn's Tournament come through with their first full-length, _Years Old_. Don't let the New Yawk heritage fool you... there's very little of the Madball / Cro-Mags / Biohazard vibe going on here. The band still seem to be lusting after an identity to some extent, stalking and preying on any post-hardcore trope that moves, but they do manage to maintain a fairly cohesive sound, even if the actual songs themselves can be a bit directionless. For the most part Tournament dabble in moderately technical -- but always evolving -- heavy mathcore of the Drive Like Jehu variety. The drums and bass on _Years Old_ seem fairly prominent and well recorded, but unfortunately the guitar and vox sound like they were recorded in a poorly miked basement. Coupled with the fragmented songwriting, the claustrophobic production quality can be a bit off putting, and truthfully I believe the band is more capable than what is ultimately delivered here. Sounds like it would be pretty great live, anyway.

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/tournamenttournament

(article published 8/9/2009)