Day of Vengeance

Mixing genres is often hard to do, and in metal, it happens more often than you’d think. (I’m speaking of bands employing the electronic/hardcore bands, which are all the rage these days.) Sadly, it’s become the norm, and the technique is pretty much stale in 2014.

That’s why a band like Day of Vengeance stands out, with their relentless, unabashed form of hardcore. The group’s third full-length outing, Crutchless, channels various styles of metal, including black metal, deep hardcore and even some thrash in parts. While they might not be as technical as a band like Becoming the Archetype, songs like “Beaten Path” feature a haunting vocal style reminiscent of bands like Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (before they went Southern rock and without the Southern wails) and Of Mice and Men.
The best thing about these Florida boys is how much heart they put behind what they do. You can tell some of the songs were done after just a few takes, particularly on tracks like “Best Friends and Murderers.” The song ends with vocalist Josiah Hughes coughing up a lung, and it adds some reality to the hardcore element the group is portraying with Crutchless. Other tracks, like the ferocious “Broken Bones,” boast a speed-metal bridge and a couple heavy drops that set them apart from the typical hardcore scene. Many bands in this genre stick to one focus, whether that’s the hardcore or the metal side. For Day of Vengeance, combining the various genres is just another day at the office. For fans of Chasing Victory, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Of Mice and Men.

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Justin Mabee

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