Throwdown
Vendetta
Review by Mike Korn
Throwdown play forceful, angry music that is quite basic on the surface, but which makes tremendous impact due to the conviction behind it. These guys realize that it is heart and conviction that make a hardcore band truly outstanding. Those qualities seem to be lacking in today's new flood of metalcore acts, which seem to be obsessed with technicality. Throwdown is kind of a link to the genre's past, when hardcore burst out of New York and California with bare-knuckled fury and the honesty of the streets.
Hatebreed is an easy comparison to make, but Throwdown vary the pace a bit more than Jamey Jasta's thuggish crew. There's a bit more variation here than first meets the eye and it helps to make Vendetta more memorable. Also helping is the raging energy in Dave Peters' raw vocals. This guy sounds like he means it and puts a chest-beating anger into his vocal delivery that calls to mind Rollins and Anselmo at their best. In fact, it's not too far off the mark to say Throwdown is like the bastard child of Pantera and Black Flag, with a generous helping of Hatebreed thrown in.
It is not sophisticated stuff and I don't think it will push the likes of Nevermore or Slough Feg out of the top spot for me, but for pit-inducing mayhem that makes you feel like breaking something, "Vendetta" will do the trick just fine.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2005 Year Book Volume 3 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2005.
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