It gives me immense pleasure to introduce you to the newest old school hardcore band reigning in from Hyderabad, India – R.A.I.D (Rueban and The Imperium Division). Formed in June 2016, the debut band has signed up with Rottweiler Records, and have released their debut album “The Strong Survive” early July this year. Having seen a few line-up changes over the years, the band (the brain child of vocalist Rueban Issac) describes themselves as “When one thinks of a raid, the word generally conjures thoughts of a sudden attack or assault on an enemy as in warfare. The implication is that a counter threat or forceful action is being levied against a previous assailant.”
The band lists out a number of influences which includes Madball, Suicidal Tendencies, Agnostic Front, Terror, Snapcase and Hatebreed. Lyrically, R.A.I.D focuses on the classic ethos of hardcore, PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) with the added message of Hope, Strength and Salvation through the teachings of Jesus Christ. R.A.I.D strives to further breathe fresh music into a generic scene, pushing both music and lyrics to the fullest potential.
Without much ado, I plug in my earphones and with the flick of a matchstick delve into this debut record. The first track, “Detonate” literally true to its name, explodes with hammering riffs and sets the groove on. The guitar tone is rugged and riffs are progressive, accentuated equally with raw growls and makes one groove to the beats. Next up we have, “Soul of a Lion” which takes no time to grab your attention with a catchy riff and continues with the same energy as that of its predecessor. What was peculiar about this song was the interlude that introduces us to the odd time breaks and builds up intensity to outleash brutal madness, the guitar solo did its magic too.
“Driven” brings in the high tonal/distorted funky bass and distorted guitars opening the track, and an eerie soundscape carrying forward the song, which at all points resonates with plenty of energy keeping one engaged. “Semper Fi” gets us grinding on the blast beats, with plenty of well-arranged/well-Structured guitar riffs meddling brilliantly together. Most of the Hardcore outfits I’ve heard have kept there songs short and punchy, and R.A.I.D. doesn’t deviate from the formulaic.
“Iron Mind” has got some subtle acoustic guitar riffs opening the song, giving one hope of a potential ballad but surprises one with a punchy delivery, which will surely get you head-banging. “Haymaker” brings in the raw energy that is now synonymous with “R.A.I.D” hitting you hard with maddening blast beats and guitar riffs with odd time signatures which are more or less spread across the song, while delivering some powerful verses.
The album ends with “The Beatdown” which starts off with a melodic riff and hammers its way with chunky and meaty guitar riffs. The song is one of the longest songs of the album and builds the expectations while varying in intensity and concludes well with a blitzing guitar solo.
Production : The production on the album needed attention, I felt the sound was a little too raw for my ears and it could have been honed to perfection.
Conclusion : It becomes a daunting task for a reviewer to review an upcoming debut band, as your stance may just well define their identity. The songs were really tight and I have high hopes from them in the future. With all that said, I was really impressed with the album and believe that they would evolve into something bigger. This record needs to be bought. So go BUY!
Rating: 7/10
Written by: Ankit Sood
Track listing:
1) Detonate
2) Soul Of A Lion
3) Driven
4) Semper Fi
5) Iron Mind
6) Haymaker
7) The Beatdown
Band members
Rueban Issac – Vocals
Abishek Allapanda – Guitars
Emmanuel Ojo – Guitars/Bass
Bobbin Jaydev – Drums
Release Date: 13 July 2018
Record Label: Rottweiler Records
Weblinks: Facebook / Noisetrade / Bandcamp
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Video for ‘Haymaker
Lyric video for ‘Soul Of A Lion’
Video for “The Strong Survive” (Album Teaser)