Artist: By Any Means
Title: Built on Respect
Type: Album
Label: Savour Your Scene Records

The cover picture is of the overhead cranes in the shipyard of Belfast, the home city of this hardcore band. It’s an industrial image and a memorable one for anyone who’s been there. The toughness associated with this scene is here in the album, but refreshingly By Any Means don’t lay claims to something new and innovative. Instead they allow themselves the freedom to just “go for it”. The intro is interesting and sample-ridden but my attention was really captured on “My Anger, My Gift”, which manages to be deep, fluent, melodic, riff-laden, technical and brutal at the same time. The deep and punishing beat continues on “Mercury Rising”, another driving track which is born of anvils and industrial processes. The vocalist roars and gets everyone going. After a pause, we set off at breakneck, punkish speed. Controlled chaos descends. The punkishness is in evidence on “the title track “Built on Respect”, an utterly no nonsense, in-your-face piece.

Subtlety remains in the riffs but as the album progresses, the level of anger and loudness rises. “City of the Dead” – not to be confused with the Dew Scented track of a similar name – is utterly relentless. The singer roars in our faces. The drums and thumping guitar work allow no space for breathing. In the publicity “Hardcore Pride” is described as “slightly yobbish”. I think that’s being unfair to itself because it suggests something simplistic. Yes, the gang chant is there and there are no prisoners taken, but this is totally audience-engaging hardcore as it’s supposed to be with a brilliantly catchy and appropriately deep riff, changes and oceans of aggression.

“Hardcore Pride” is a statement which may not meet with the approval nor reflect the aims of the Women’s Institute but it’s tough and musically magnetic. ”By Any Means” is similarly anthemic and uses the gang chorus to good effect along with another deep rhythm and occasional samples. The vocalist screams and croaks at us manically. For some reason this reminded me of Hatesphere. All the time that relentless and thunderous beat provides the undercurrent to solid aggression. The skill lies in the twists within the apparent simplicity of this piece of warfare. The changes of pace are worked well. “Using Both Hands” takes us into another world but the relentless onslaught continues to rumble under the floorboards and never goes away. The only disappointment for me on this album was the last two tracks which seem to take a step backwards into more reflective aggressive but the core is there and the sound of the sirens help to provide an edgy ending.

“Built on Respect” is just totally honest metal which invites listeners to immerse themselves in the overpowering but controlled anger and brutality. It’s well constructed and full of interest in spite of its plainly aggressive message. By All Means have got something here and make us want to share in it. All in all it’s very much geared to live performance and interaction. Well worth listening to, I’d say.

http://www.myspace.com/byanymeanshardcore

http://www.savouryourscene.co.uk

Andrew Doherty

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