Down For Life - Harder Than Hell
Crowd Control Media / Last Punkrockers Records
Founded in 2013, San Fernando Valley’s very own powerhouse - Down For Life - released their debut album only a year later. For the, at the time, freshly founded Crowd Control Media, the boys from the Valley came out swingin’ indeed with their first effort, the “Comin’ Out Swingin’” CD. I was already a fan prior to that release, but even I have to admit now that the CD lacked some production-value. Don’t get me wrong, I still love that album, but the longer I think about it – the better it could have been, especially if you listen to the albums that Memphis St. Studios produced afterwards (The Hardknocks, anyone?).
Maybe the band felt the same way, because despite that “Harder Than Hell” is a whole new album-title for a whole new album, it does include six songs from the aforementioned debut. Re-recorded and well, I obviously had to compare them one more time to the CD-tracks and indeed, “By My Side”, “No Thanks”, “Break The Mold”, “We Don’t Need Your Respect”, “My Friend, My Brother” and the band’s anthem “Down For Life” sound so much better! Not only because the production is ten-times stronger now (though that is a big plus), but also because the band has grown rapidly in a relatively short amount of time! These songs came out swingin’ first, but now they’re here to knock you the fuck out!
This obviously reflects onto Down For Life’s brand new songs as well. Still delivering that well-balanced mixture of brickwall Oi! and tough as nails hardcore, “Harder Than Hell” turned out harder than hell indeed! Excluding the excellent covers of the Whiskey Rebels (“Streets Gave You To Me”), the Templars (“Victim”) and the previously released “Lost Generation” and “Not Your Time” (from the cassette-compilation “Oi! The Tape” volume one), you will get three of those new ones on “Harder Than Hell” – just three though This might look slightly disappointing on paper, but in reality the mixture of familiar and all new anthems works out really well, with the album instantly having you in its grasp! But even if you never heard of Down For Life before, trust me, “Harder Than Hell”, “Stay Strong”, “The Enemy” and all previously mentioned songs, come crashing in like a ten ton hammer, making sure you will recognize ‘em after this release!
The only exception is the final song, an acoustic version of the new “Stay Strong”. Fully acoustic that is. Americana done LA-style, including contrabass (alike at least) and nice, clean vocals. Very cool!
So what is “Harder Than Hell”? A whole new album, a compilation that features a handful of new songs or should we put “Comin’ Out Swingin’” aside altogether, and consider this to be Down For Life’s ‘real’ debut album? You tell me. All I know is that “Harder Than Hell” is the band’s first release on vinyl and that they redeemed themselves, hard that is! Down For Life rules, okay!
