I for one found Steel Nation’s debut EP to sound more or less like a poor man’s Integrity, who didn’t have the musical chops or songwriting ability to pull of the evil, creepy vibe that fills most Integ records. This made me think this band needs to really step it up or add in some other flavors to make them stand out, because this whole ‘trend’ of ripping off Clevo/Holy Terror bands is getting a bit overdone. Imagine my surprise when I heard that SN/Crucified split.
They seemed to be taking a lot more influence from Biohazard and Cro Mags and the like, while still retaining bits and pieces of their Clevo-sounding roots, and in this outing, seem to have captured the essence of what made those bands great and indeed possibly expanded upon the foundation those bands laid for countless hardcore and metal bands to influenced by. This new stylistic improvement gave me immense hope that a full-length would produce similar results, and sure enough, “Forever Wounded” does exactly that and then some.
The sound encompassed on here is what I would best describe as “Union Worker hardcore.” It’s exactly the kind of soundtrack I would want to hear after a hard day of laying iron or plumbing, as I sat down at home to a 12 pack of Budweiser and maybe some Monday Night Football. Make no mistake, this definitely fits the moniker “PA Hardsyle” that Steel Nation has adopted to adorn much of their merch. Although they doesn’t tread any new ground, Steel Nation pulls their musical punches so well, with so much conviction and severely bolstered songwriting chops, that it almost seems that they are simply paying homage to their influences while doing what they can to forge them into their own identity. By doing so they have created one helluva great listen.
If you prefer the sounds of the 90’s and early 00’s when hardcore was actually HARD and pissed off about the every day trials and tribulations that we all in our own ways endure, you’ll find a lot to like here. Steve and Neil’s trade-off vocals truly embody how a dual-vocal approach SHOULD be, and are truly what set the newer Steel Nation apart. The vocals really channel Even Seinfeld and Billy Graziadei, but do so in such a way as to have their own personality and not just emulate a previously done, classic vocal style.
Standout tracks definitely include straight-up thrashers “A War Within” and “Prayer for Isolation,” as well as more Clevo-inspired moshers like “Last Man Standing” and the title track, the former of which begins with an acoustic passage and lead-guitar noodling that quickly give way for a killer mid-paced groove with some seriously pissed vocals. The ridiculously catchy and heartfelt man-singing vocal passage at about 2:09 into “Downfall of Humanity” is a shining example that gruff yet-somewhat melodic vocals can be used tastefully and actually give a hardcore band’s sound more character. On the flipside, a lesser track would be “Odysseus,” which while is a great track in and of itself, doesn’t hold a candle to the much rawer version found on the split. My only other complaints are that the solo’s, which while well-executed and always fitting of the parts they accompany, they more or less eventually end up sounding pretty same-y, with the same scales being used. Point is, plenty of rock, just not enough variation of the rock. In addition to this, while Steel Nation’s revamped, much-improved sound and newfound enthusiasm for penning memorable hardcore tunes has made for an excellent listen, I don’t think they’ve quite found their nitch yet despite their complete 180 turn in the right direction. We can only hope this continues next time around and they create a hardcore masterpiece, because I definitely seem them as being capable of pulling such a feat off.
