Records come about as the result of all manner of situations, but ‘The Divide’ is born from circumstances more challenging than most, resulting from front man Rich Lardner enduring and recovering from a life threatening illness. Because of this it is understandably an intensely personal record, but one that engages the listener immediately and continues to do so across all five tracks. Whilst not always directly referencing the struggles that Lardner endured, some of the subject matter for ‘The Divide’ does bring his experiences to light, such as ‘Burning Rope’ which deals with the passing of a fellow patient and the struggle to find hope that followed for Lardner.
The music is equally deserving of attention, as the lyrics are soundtracked by powerful hardcore that often recalls American Nightmare/Give Up The Ghost. Lock & Key have also shared stages with fellow contemporaries of the hardcore scene such as Stick To Your Guns and Deez Nuts, and on the strength of this EP, the band’s debut, it is easy to see why they deserve to go very far indeed.
‘The Border’ in particular is crushing yet uplifting, and is a great example of how hardcore should be done, with the extra vocals towards the end expanding the track beyond the sometimes familiar limits of the genre. ‘The Divide’ is by no means tied to a singular paced but the added sense of urgency of ‘So Alone’ is particularly effective and all but guaranteed to turn any live performance of it into an increasingly rapid sea of flailing limbs.
At the times where ‘The Divide’ does stray into musical familiarity it is still well-constructed with every beatdown, crunching riff, and pounding of the drums packing the intended punch. ‘Things Stay The Same’ is a satisfyingly brutal close to the EP as it drives home its message that “We won’t give in, we won’t back down, we won’t let go, we will make our stand”.
Lock & Key have taken an incredibly difficult and challenging time in the life of Rich Lardner and focussed it into a record that is reflective yet hopeful and incredibly emotionally charged. The complete absence of self pity drives the EP forward as the band focuses its energy into each cathartic song yet it is ultimately the messages of hope contained within that ensure that ‘The Divide’ will stand out.
CHRIS HILSON