Rebirth is a dividing issue for many bands. It is often questioned as bands have added and subtracted as to who was the better asset and there is rarely a positive medium. It begs the question, how easy is it for a band to come back after a high-profile member departure? How many bands could deal with the loss of a lead singer without falling into desperate turmoil and hidden divisions or even a slash of painful mediocrity on future releases? There’s no doubting that not many bands could pull themselves up the way YOUR DEMISE have managed to, and second release (although the first with new vocalist Ed McRae) ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ is nothing if not a demonstration of the fighting furnace still blazing within the heart of this much-loved UKHC crew.
From start to finish, within each riff and screech embedded within the forty-minute wall of sound, it’s strikingly evident that Your Demise are definitely one of the strongest forces flying the hardcore flag for the British kids. ‘Miles Away’ is classic, brutal hardcore – with a mammoth chorus twinned with risible, aggressive stampedes of heavy distortion, it’s a call to arms for fans all over. ‘Scared of the Light’ is contained chaos in the best sense – barbaric and merciless to the core. Title track ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ is fast-paced and furious, with jagged guitar lines like daggers stabbing into this anthemic onslaught: singalongs and banging heads guaranteed.
Callous with a soft edge, it’s accessible yet heavy; tough yet exciting. There’s no denying that Your Demise have suffered their ups and downs, but it’s clear that this record firmly marks the group at an all-time-high.
OLIVIA JAREMI