Crawl

This debut from Crawl, which includes former members of Dethbox, is one track after another of hyper-aggressive punk that sounds like it was recorded in an indoor skate park. Just the same, the songs aren't a full-on speed-driven assault. Whereas a hardcore band might pummel you until the end, Crawl plays with tempos to increase the savagery in the songwriting. "Wither Away" sounds like what can only be described as hopeless desperation: seeing no point in the seeming meaninglessness of working-class existence in America, but knowing there has to be something better than this. If Dethbox could be compared to JFA and early Napalm Death, then Crawl is akin to archly defiant and darkly arty bands like Flipper and No Trend in its wicked sense of humor and sneering disdain for mainstream sensibilities.