Donnybrook Lions in This Game
Hand of Hope Records HOH008 June 14th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
The old adage states: If you want something done right, do it yourself. And thats exactly what Donnybrook decided to do when they lifted the hardcore cross upon their backs. Lions in This Game, the quintets full-length debut, is entirely cognizant of other purveyors such as Death Threat, Terror, among others. However, it must be remembered that this album is but a speck on the pure hardcore map, which will not revitalize the subgenre, renew crowd fervor, or accomplish any lofty tasks such as the aforementioned.
While Donnybrook have a nice sound about them and are enthusiastically churning out hardcore, the debut is only about twenty-six minutes long. That fact isnt necessarily unforgivable, but Lions in This Game is not a sizeable chunk of music, length-wise. Needless to say, I can imagine these hxc anthems meshing with the Victory Records roster of old; yknow, back when Victory was actually a hardcore label. Not to be outdone by their rivals, Donnybrook have solicited guest vocalizations from Vogel (Terror), Jett (Terror, Piece by Piece), and Williams (Internal Affairs). These twelve tracks are definitely of the anger-fueled variety, and Victim turns out to be a well-rounded cover of District 9. Regarding the previously mentioned, most of the musicianship vocals included is simply ho-hum. Oddly enough, the snazziest thing about Lions in This Game is the fine-tuned production its nearly perfect, but it does detract from the brashness that hardcore often contains.
Junkies of said subgenre will find much to like in Donnybrook, and furthermore I can envision their street cred skyrocketing with added exposure. This particular record, however, is too short and doesnt separate itself adequately from its past and present peers. Its a somewhat solid effort, though. But, tell me this, what sport is that on the cover?
7/10
Official Donnybrook Website
Official Hand of Hope Records Website
Hand of Hope Records HOH008 June 14th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
The old adage states: If you want something done right, do it yourself. And thats exactly what Donnybrook decided to do when they lifted the hardcore cross upon their backs. Lions in This Game, the quintets full-length debut, is entirely cognizant of other purveyors such as Death Threat, Terror, among others. However, it must be remembered that this album is but a speck on the pure hardcore map, which will not revitalize the subgenre, renew crowd fervor, or accomplish any lofty tasks such as the aforementioned.
While Donnybrook have a nice sound about them and are enthusiastically churning out hardcore, the debut is only about twenty-six minutes long. That fact isnt necessarily unforgivable, but Lions in This Game is not a sizeable chunk of music, length-wise. Needless to say, I can imagine these hxc anthems meshing with the Victory Records roster of old; yknow, back when Victory was actually a hardcore label. Not to be outdone by their rivals, Donnybrook have solicited guest vocalizations from Vogel (Terror), Jett (Terror, Piece by Piece), and Williams (Internal Affairs). These twelve tracks are definitely of the anger-fueled variety, and Victim turns out to be a well-rounded cover of District 9. Regarding the previously mentioned, most of the musicianship vocals included is simply ho-hum. Oddly enough, the snazziest thing about Lions in This Game is the fine-tuned production its nearly perfect, but it does detract from the brashness that hardcore often contains.
Junkies of said subgenre will find much to like in Donnybrook, and furthermore I can envision their street cred skyrocketing with added exposure. This particular record, however, is too short and doesnt separate itself adequately from its past and present peers. Its a somewhat solid effort, though. But, tell me this, what sport is that on the cover?
7/10
Official Donnybrook Website
Official Hand of Hope Records Website
