Album Review: Terror - 'Live By The Code'

Consistency is something that is hard to find nowadays, especially when it comes to music. Artists choose to adapt to certain trends, markets and mindsets: constantly wanting to prove that they are maturing or coinciding with notions of perfecting their art. It sometimes works, or it sometimes becomes a colossal failure. This failure of formula is something that hardcore veterans Terror are definitely not known for, and this is obvious with their fifth studio album, 'Live By The Code', continuing the brutality that was unleashed in their 2010 album 'Keepers Of The Faith.' 

From the very beginning, 'Live By The Code' is just a brutal aggressive attack, throwing waves upon waves of heavy hitting songs that assault the notion of comfort. It has this unprecedented fury from the very first moment where the pin is removed, exploding straight into the hardcore routine that we’re used to from Terror. 'Live By The Code' has this tendency to want a second or third play through, as though the album has a pummelling energy coursing through every moment. From the aggressive subjects of dishonesty, dignity and strengths that are yelled furiously from Scott Vogel to the brutality that the rhythms create, it makes it easy to just throw your mind into it. It’s almost hypnotic in its chaos. A great example of this is 'Not Impressed', where every element is tight as a drum from the lyrics on vain disconnected culture and actions to the thick distortion that feels like you can honestly choke on it.

Scott Vogel is still within his element, and 'Live By The Code' is a great example, his thoughts and lyrics are still hard-hitting, aggressive and not showing a moment of age or degradation. Songs like 'I’m Only Stronge' and 'One Blood' have subject matter that is thought provoking and heavy, but that is totally forgotten when you’re yelling along and throwing your skull around like it doesn’t matter. This is at its peak during 'Shot Of Reality', where Scott reminds us that everything is fucked and we’re all to blame. Yet, anger aside, you can’t imagine this being played without a clenched fist or a need to get up and cause damage.

What stands out with 'Live By The Code' is the production of the vocals, that includes more group yells and vocal overdubs. This honestly makes the anger and lyrical subject more intense and welcoming. This also matches perfectly with the fast and relentless riffs, speeding through a mix of textbook perfect thrash/metal and hardcore churned out by Martin Stewart and Jordan Posner. Regardless, everything is just as it should be, heavy, loud and relentless; this is present in its highest moment on the final track 'One Blood'. Terror subsequently with this album hasn’t reinvented the wheel, it sure sounds thicker and up to date, but what is the point in that endeavour? They just deliver an album that is true to their formula, a solid hardcore album with deep seeded roots in a scene that they pioneer in.

Terror have returned with another impressively solid hardcore album, Live By The Code. It’s a relentless assault of hard as hell vocals and crushing riffs that truly cements why they are so favoured and regarded as pioneers. It’s true to their sound and ethic, without compromising on their original formula. It’s undeniably addictive, and will definitely be favoured instantly.

 1. The Most High

2. Not Impressed

3. Cold Truth

4. I'm Only Stronger

5. Live By the Code

6. The Good Die Young

7. Shot of Reality

8. Hard Lessons

9. Invasion

10. Nothing in Your Head

11. One Blood