The RVA band Under Attack was hotly tipped by No Echo back in 2019 on the strength of their Vinyl Conflict demo. The following debut 7 inch dropped courtesy of Iron Lung Records was a superlative five song sprint of gnarly, pissed off hardcore. In the intervening years they set their sights on aural evisceration in the form of a grip of killer splits (both released and scheduled) with legends Seein’ Red, Loose Nukes, and more.
The Commonwealth crew are back with a vengeance. Slotted for release in August via Three One G records is Preservation’s Crash. From said LP comes Song of the Day and lead single “Die Already,” a sub-minute slab of nihilistic rage and blast.
Relative to the lightspeed runtime, the violent fuzz of the opening bass run should come as no surprise to fans of the group’s ever-growing and fruitful family tree. Though the song stands as the closer, it plays as a violent bookend equally worthy of an opening salvo, not so much an exit as it is a statement of future intent.
As it’s played by literally a who’s who of extreme music royalty, they’ll likely get tagged with the loathsome “supergroup” tag, but I’d be remiss not to mention the veritable murderer’s row filling out the practice space. Cobbled together from members of Devoid of Faith, Suppression, Limp Wrist, Human Remains, and a litany of other heavy hitters, the varied and extensive chops are of note.
The rhythm section is straight up unfuckwithable, again the going rate for any act boasting one Dave Witte, whose resume reads like a glorious rap sheet of radness, and bassist Jason Hodges' discography isn't one to sneeze at either.
Their self-admitted influences range from the more aggro end of first wave hardcore to the crust leaning Dystopia, but it’s the members long cultivated family tree that pays the biggest dividends. As clattering and out of control as it lean and expertly executed, this is top tier hardcore punk with a long established Richmond flair. Vocally, this shit is out of control.
Venomous and chaotic, it’s a killer match for the precision based mayhem beneath it all. Though fans of early USHC won’t be turned away, the sonics verge on fastcore and grind tempos.
The clearly DIY proposition has seemingly employed a “share the wealth” model with multiple labels, all of which have long served the vehemently independent world of hardcore punk. Based on their ripping back catalogue, high hopes is an understatement. Due out right around the time Mid-Atlantic humidity has nearly melted our brains, I look longingly to this pure fire to finish the job.
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Pick up a copy of Preservation's Crash on vinyl from Three One G or digital via Bandcamp.
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Tagged: black army jacket, devoid of faith, human remains, limp wrist, municipal waste, suppression, under attack
