In their latest album, R.A.I.D bring old-school hardcore from Hyderabad, India in a collection of pounding tracks that aim for the sounds found in the clubs in places like New York and Boston.
Admit it, when you read old-school hardcore, you had images of New York and bands like Madball, Sick of It All and the like and you weren’t thinking of Hyderabad, India. Well, R.A.I.D is here to change that and as Rolling Stone India put it, they are “Hyderabad’s sole hardcore frontrunners”. For this follow up to The Strong Survive (2018), the band chose material focused on finding and using one’s inherent strength, inspired by the Biblical character Samson.
Clocking in under 20 minutes for seven songs, the album certainly fits the typical mold for an old-school hardcore effort, no wasted time. A short drum roll and “Unbreakable” is off to the races with a galloping riff that slows for the verse sections where Ruben Isaac barks out the words. The first song does set the tone for the whole album and there are a couple of sound issues and/or choices that I’m not a big fan of that I feel hurt the overall impact of the songs. Continue reading »