Street Soldier - Original Murda Material Review

It’s not everyday that a Hardcore album comes to us. And when one comes I personally give it all the attention it deserves as, from where I’m stading, Metal music owes a lot to Hardcore. Even more when it comes to Extreme Metal bands. Now we’ve got Street Soldier with “Original Murda Material” whose Hardcore differs a lot from what I and my dear child of the night are used. To explain easily and right way their music the first term that comes to mind is groovy. Groovy in a way bands as Red Hot Chilly Peppers and Suicidal Tendencies are. In a way, Street Soldier are a product of the 1990’s with all the electronic effects and dance music influences the band delivers. However, their visceral approach to these elements with an insidious Hardcore slant make their music unique. In the band’s hand this combination turns into something explosive. It’s a combination I have never seen. Metal combined with electronic music, yes; Hardcore, never.

Album opener “Rewind” starts with a typical electronic music intro with a dancing beat and a voice that repeats itself all the time with some strobe effect. It’s when the guitars and the drums blast that my dear child of the night will feel the energy Street Soldier deliver. As it is usual about album welcomers, “Rewind” is the track that works as an appetizer to what is to come. Following track “Can’t Break This” is a pure 1990’s anger as bands like Rage Against the Machine used to distill. The song is pure wrath with that groove that comes from the bass and the drums. Vocalist Scotty Hall seems to be doing anything else with his voice. Maybe he’s vocifering, mumbling, cursing or anything else. The effect is a song with all the rage and wrath that only Hardcore is able to pass the fan. Then comes “Time to Lose” which is the most old school Hardcore track of the album except for the vocals near the end which have a kind of 1990 fluency. Next is “nah nah F*ck You” whose tittle tells a lot about it. Musicwise is where Street Soldier develop all their groove and swing. A big highlight to Laurie ‘Drill Sgt’ Caudwell dance beats which are very difficult to do with the heavy hand the guy has. It’s a mix of a hard spanking with all the groove possible. And then the créme de la créme “Middle Fingaz” whose swing mixed with the muscular anger makes it so delicious. Though the mood addresses a lot to the 1990s I have to say that the song is freshiest of the album.

Bands like Street Soldier prove Hardcore still a lot to burn. The mix the band does here in “Original Murda Material” is just something impossible to imagine. One more to nominate.

Street Soldier “Original Murda Material” will be released on July 28th via SLDR Worldwide Ltd.

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