No Innocent Victim
Tipping The Scales
Victory
Even if I didn’t have the liner notes to this album, I’d be able to tell right away that No Innocent Victim is a Victory Records band. Why, you ask? NIV pulls out all the standard hardcore tricks: long screams kicking off the super fast songs, slow parts in the middle of songs for everyone to catch their breath, tracks lingering around the two minute mark, sliding, metal sounding guitar hooks, and hitting everything once to create anticipation. Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t a bad thing. For some reason, Tipping The Scales is a strangely enthralling listen. I listened to it three times in a row before I realized it. The lyrics are pretty positive, dealing with rich, corrupt people and the sorry state the world is in, as opposed to rotting flesh or something. They’re not quite up to par with, say, Shai Hulud, but it’s all good. The last track sounds like a Sick of it All song, and rocks. Not a bad record, even if it’s not especially innovative.
No Innocent Victim, 777 Saddlewood St, Colton, CA 92324; http://www.victoryrecords.com
