Album Review: Victim Control - 'Human Privilege'

Sometimes a product's cover really tells what you're getting yourself into.

The cover for Victim Control’s debut release, their five-track demo, of which shows a bunch of hardcore/punk dudes lynching a bunch of racists and skinhead/Neo-Nazi’s (as well as a Tony Abbott-like figure?) is almost rather fitting for a small time hardcore band. All the trigger issues of poverty, rabid consumerism and embedded racism are all brought up throughout the EP’s 10-minute run time, and considering our country's larger issues, these songs are surprisingly topical and potent, and from a very new and relatively young band.

Now, as this is the band’s first demo/EP/release-thing, it's of course not going to be as polished as say, the more recent albums from Terror or Comeback Kid, but if the old The Dillinger Escape Plan and Norma Jean records prove anything, it's that a lack of polish doesn’t mean it’s bad. It is pretty rough around the edges, but it’s easy to see that with a bit more polish in both the recording and mixing aspects, Victim Control’s sound could be truly huge, truly menacing, and truly dominate in a scene where that can be very hard to pull off.

The riffs chug along slowly and are actually pretty damn heavy and beefy, and that's saying something for a band with this metallic hardcore style. The screams/yells are raw and definitely indicative of the style, however, the lack of any real extra growls or meatier screams does leave a little to be desired. There’s also a strong crust-punk vibe to this demo, and whether that was intentional or not is unclear, but regardless, it’s goddamned cool.

The very first release from these Melbournian newcomers makes up for its lack of mix/production polish with a surprisingly huge and heavy sound. One can easily tell that some things do need work, but one can also tell just how massive and crazy the sound of this band could be with just the right songs and mix.

1. The Victim Control

2. Out Of Touch

3. In Sequence

4. Broken Ties

5. Old Growth