If Time Spiral’s debut has anything to say to Milwaukee, it’s that the hardcore punk scene hasn’t run out of steam. These four songs sound familiar with traditional beats, breakdowns and riffs, but they show that the city’s hardcore scene has survived after venue shutdowns and band controversies from a few years ago. The opening song, “Six Hours,” starts with a dirty bassline and heavy drumbeats and then dives into a breakdown designed to get dancers grooving along with it. The opener is followed by “Short Highs,” which is hit-or-miss as the vocalist sings with the rolling drumbeat but still carries grinding guitar riffs and breakdowns like the rest of the album.
By the time the third track, “Life’s Just A Promise,” comes around, it becomes obvious that this music was not written to be uplifting. The opening monologue explores themes of failure, self-image and depression, while the rest of the song drives these traumas in like a jackhammer. “Trust Issues” picks up the mood with crossover thrash elements, which are the most evident in this final song. As the band’s webpage boasts, “If you don’t like it… Too bad.”
