Album Review: Throwdown - 'Intolerance'

Throwdown have ventured back to familiar ground with their seventh record 'Intolerance'. Think the 'Vendetta' period, the band’s heyday as many may argue, and you're getting close. The main difference this time around being the refinement of their experimental structures, plus far less shredding.

Songs are kept short and to the point, large bursts of energy and aggression kicking off with opening track 'Fight or Die', which has vocalist Dave Peters' rivaling the bass heavy sludge tones with his insistent growl. The sludge rock element is most prevalent in the guitars. The riffs are thick and offset well against the punk like pace of the drums. The one exception, the slow and dragging 'Borrowed Time', which lifts slightly in its mid-section but maintains a cruisy pace.

Tracks like 'Defend with Violence' have a throwback Pantera-like sound, especially in the vocal phrasing, which opens up leaving the drive to the rhythm section. It could be Peters' high pitched Disturbed-esque screams or the slight Slipknot tendencies of the guitars. 'Suffer, Conquer' sounds a little bit nu-metal, that is of course until the classic metal sounding chorus lines.

As with most Throwdown records, there is little to no tonal deviation, which can make the affair drag a little near the end, roughly around the point where the lyrical themes take a relentless turn towards topics centered around a straight edge lifestyle.

The title track is one of the fastest on the record, the band's hardcore side coming out a little with some hefty breakdowns blending almost seamlessly into the fast palm muting and long vocals drawls of'Without Weakness'. The album finishes off with the chaotic 'Condemned to Live' sounding like Sabbath on steroids.

Throwdown are back!

There is something enjoyable about this record that is hard to pin down. Possibly it's just the thick sludge riffs that no other band has managed to pull off as well lately. However, the lack of deviation in sound or song structures is a bit of a downer. It's not something that should have taken four years, but 'Intolerance' is one of Throwdown's finer moments.

1. Fight or Die

2. Borrowed Time

3. Avow

4. Hardened by Consequence

5. Defend with Violence

6. Suffer, Conquer

7. Cut Away

8. Intolerance

9. Without Weakness

10. Born and Buried Alone

11. Condemned to Live