Review: “The Bad Kind Decides” by Bad Blood

No nonsense hardcore with a punch and a pulse.” That’s how Scott Vogel (Terror, Buried Alive) introduces his new project Bad Blood. Having spent years talking about making music together, Buffalo, New Yorkers guitarists Eric Ellman (They Live, Violent Way) and Mason Hutchins (Violent Way), bassist Greg Vinal (Exhibition) and drummer Nick Terlecky (Violent Way) finally made it happen and the result is debut EP “The Bad Kind Decides“. Recorded live with producer Jay Zubricky (Mindforce, Snapcase) at GCR studios and mastered by Will Killingsworth (Orchid) at Dead Air Studios and titled as a nod to Buffalo legendary hardcore band Zero Tolerance with the band citing mutual appreciation ‘80s hardcore bands like Warzone and Brotherhood as their inspiration…

Make no bones about it, the arrival of this new project is the metaphorical equivalent of a man dying of thirst in the desert sun seeing a tropical oasis on the horizon. Given the names and reputations of those involved, the weight expectation before a single note is herd is ridiculous. What we’ve been treated to is five cuts of socially and politically aware Hardcore live from the floor with that fast and loose feel made for stage dives and high fives. Soaked in feedback, “716 Bust / Bad Blood” starts with a groove laden moment for the two steppers before switching up to a circle pit speed, an old school stone cold banger the likes of which you might expect from Sick Of It All or Agonistic Front. Gang chants and some classic bass bleed out make “Fear Is All” another classic punch in the face of old school Hardcore with a tasteful build up before putting the pedal to the Metal which finds Scott Vogel in his element. The obvious question is would these songs have fitted in with Terror Violent Way or Exhibition and the answer to that is a resounding yes but that doesn’t take anything away from the record. “Lost To Sin” foregoes the introduction and leaps head long into traffic screaming “f*** them all” with the opening verse as a high octane incendiary piece that begs to be heard. The drop off for a slow breakdown in the mid section is an absolute Chef’s Kiss moment as Vogel vents his spleen and gets his point across in the finest possible way. Keeping the energy high and the flow like a river to the sea, “Apology Denied” is a pile driver of a cut that stands out from the pack as Vogel smokes out those from whom an apology is meaningless as they don’t correct the errors of their ways. Sticking to the style “The Bad Kind” races through like a greyhound chasing a rabbit at the dog track, a full on piece of Hardcore that is everything the genre has been since its inception to now in one easy to swallow, mosh pit filling moment. Not only will you want to listen to this again and again, you’ll want the group to get back in the studio for a full length as soon as possible [8/10]

Track Listing

  1. 716 Bust / Bad Blood
  2. Fear Is All
  3. Lost To Sin
  4. Apology Denied
  5. The Bad Kind

The Bad Kind Decides” by Bad Blood is out 31st March 2023 via Flatspot Records with pre-orders available here.

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