Apoch's Metal Review - Rawhide: Branded for Life CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	Plenty Ain't Enough (2009)
EP(s):	Branded for Life (2011)
Demo(s):	A Man Who Loves Whiskey and Hates Kids Can't be All Bad (2004) • Deathpunk Playboys (2005) • Red Light District (2006)

Review

With rebellious attitude, Patac Records brings us the latest offering from the Crossover Thrash Metal act Rawhide. Branded for Life is an EP that consists of four original compositions that span just over thirteen and a half minutes of length total. While short releases like these are becoming more common, both in vinyl as well as a digital medium, there are still plenty of bands out there who don't quite embrace the potential of this style of release and treat them poorly with less quality for maybe one or two compositions and some bland cover songs. Does Rawhide make a good argument in favor of this format with this new effort?

Branded for Life actually has a quality that better suits the more underground Punk and Hardcore scenes, which is fine considering the group's brand of Crossover Thrash at work, and the more concentrated Punk approach some songs take. The audio has a bit of a raw sound to it, which does seem to hinder what could have been a recording with a nice, bass-driven sound. The guitars here sound great and often come off with a distortion that is both fun yet rebellious with catchy hooks and, in the case of the title track "Branded for Life," a very serious attitude. The bass here is present and like usual seems to back up the guitars more then offer anything additional to the mix. Due to the audio quality, the impact it makes in support isn't too strong, but it's there and provides for a good read to bang your head along or start dancing depending on the attitude of the song. Of course the drums here works well having a rather loud, booming sound to the snares with kicks that are not too high volume but still audible with their thud sound similar to the bass guitar, and cymbols that match the same levels as the rest of the kit, being loud enough that they help to fill in the music and keep the proper atmosphere to the song. The vocals are the traditional rhaspier style that often has a more energetic outburst that one might find common to a Punk approach.

"Branded for Life" starts the EP off, and it really stands out on here compared to the other three. Immediately when it kicks in I'm reminded of early Motorhead with tinges of inspiration from cuts like "Ace of Spades," which is the first thing that came to mind when hearing some of the catchier Speed Metal-esque riffs. Without hearing the rest, you'll immediately shrug this band off as that style of music moreso then anything else, especially the energetic dual layer vocals which emphasize the more energetic approach being taken by him to compliment the rest of the band. This one also feels a lot more serious compared to the other three, which feature that rebellious kind of sound, but all the while trying to have some fun while doing it, and it works, even for the slower "Out of Track" that starts off with a hint of a ballad performance prior to the traditional Punk sound hitting around the one minute forty second mark. Sadly this track just isn't all that great to sit down with, feeling like the band got lost in trying to create a more serious song, but couldn't shake the upbeat two-step that seems to evolve from this track for the last two songs, such as the catchy "Sanitarium Blues" and it's more fun going approach that is mirrored by "Through My Eyes."

While Branded for Life isn't the most engaging effort, it does give a few good songs to the listener, though one feels a lot less unique to the band then it could have been. Rawhide show off what they bring to the table well here, ranging for a heavier, more serious side to that upbeat rebellious Punk sound that can border on the Hardcore Punk sound at times. For Crossover Thrash and Punk, this effort isn't half bad, but it really makes you wonder what the effort could have been if it were done as a full-length instead considering it feels like there's a bit too much variety to the mix, and the effort to do so does end up hurting one song, and the others are solid efforts that also work well with the rawer production quality of the release. If you do decide to pick this one up, if you walk in with higher expectations, you'll be a little let down. While it's not an average release, it's definitely worth sampling to see if it worth adding to your collection.

Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Patac Records.

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