Over the years, musicians all over the world have attempted to blend everything under the sun. Skankin’ Pickle gave us ‘SkaFunkRastaPunk’ and Rage Against The Machine popularized ‘rap metal.’ It’s the byproduct of a band’s internal turmoil and reconciliation of its competing influences.
Most often, attempts to purée the music we love into a cohesive and unique pint of goo yield little more than a tall glass of something you wouldn’t want to drink on Fear Factor. However, every now and then, a band is able to pull it off and produce a sound all its own. Fishbone did it with ease, and Sublime earned respect AND money by rewriting the rules.
Toronto’s No Warning is the latest group to take on the onerous task of melding its interests into something that not only satisfies its members but also takes the hardcore genre to a new level. With Suffer, Survive, No Warning has attempted to blend its taste for the spastic with its proclivity toward melodic. The results aren’t revolutionary, but the formula most definitely works.
At the risk of insulting No Warning, its 10-track debut on Machine Shop Recordings is precisely what one would expect to hear from Linkin’ Park if they weren’t such pussies. Opening track “Dirtier Than The Next” sets the tone for what remains the band’s core strength – unapologetic hardcore aggression. “Bad Timing” follows as a solid transition cut that introduces No Warning’s more melodic side. Fortunately, it’s not nauseatingly cute, but rather it adds a defining element to what would otherwise be just another hardcore band.
“No Don’t Think So” stands as perhaps the best example of what No Warning is attempting to trademark as its sound. On one hand, it gets the listener’s heart rate pumping, while also providing a few memorable melodies to sing to. On the other hand, it typifies the danger of the mix. Some will no doubt dismiss it as being too close to the mainstream, while others will easily gravitate to it despite no carrying the proper scene hall passes. Again, a dilemma for any aspiring band to contemplate – fame or critical acclaim?
Tired industry/fan politics aside, No Warning has a winner with Suffer, Survive. The band has done more than enough to set itself apart from the same-old routine, while staying true to its hardcore roots.
