Articles of Faith "New Normal Catastrophe"

(Guest Review by Anthony Illarde) (Alternative Tentacles) The one-two punch of the October 2010 Riot fest reunion gigs and the release of this 12" EP on the same weekend elicited the thrill and immediacy of the early hardcore days; recorded on the 4th of July and available an efficient 3 months later, these 5 new tracks also belie the fact that over two decades have passed since AOF were a working band. The musicianship is as incredible as ever, with Virus X and Dorian Taj shining in particular. Some great tracks here: "With A Vengeance" could've fit on the "Give Thanks" LP; "Coming Off The Rails" has a souped up Really Red feel; the moodier "New Normal Catastrophe" recalls "Every Man For Himself." Vocally gruffer and lyrically as angry as ever (although "the internet is the opiate of the masses" seems a bit disingenuous from a Microsoft employee), this is way better than it should have been (*see Reside, by Effigies, The).