Album Review: Giver – Where the Cycle Breaks (Holy Roar Records/Powertrip Records)

Giver deliver a blasting album of melodic hardcore with their debut album, Where The Cycle Breaks out on January 26th 2018 on Holy Roar Records/Powertrip Records.

Pulling no punches, offering no bullshit…Giver mean business with crunching hardcore heaviness wrapped up in a much more appealing style. Coming flying out of the gate with the super-energetic Shock of the Fall. A track that has a nice-fisting pumping beat, aggressive vocals & catchier riffs then you might expect in a hardcore song.

The Other brings some chunky thickness to things with a short blast of heaviness before Made It Home gets the melody going in Giver’s fast-paced hardcore style.

Tracks flow perfectly from one to another, not breaking stride for even a second resulting in a clean transition. Good clarity in what we’re hearing here makes the constant burst of noisy metal much more palatable. Giver are a wild band but it’s not uncontrolled.

The 11 tracks fly by in a blur of metal riffs, dirty bass & ferocious vocals as the likes of Dancing With the Devils, What You Don’t Love & Heart of Dark appeals to the mosh-pitter in everyone. This is hardcore that isn’t about scaring people away, instead it tries to draw you in & convert you to Giver’s way of thinking.

With the whine of feedback, the simplified drum beat & groovy bass, The Terror of Perfection rips up the hardcore rulebook. A thrilling & wild sonic attack, it’s followed by the equally exciting Weightless. A track that pulls off the difficult task of being incredibly catchy as well as chaotic.

A near perfect hardcore release ends on the blasting heat of When the Fire Dies. A finale that ensures that Where the Cycle Breaks is going to go down as one of the year’s best hardcore releases.

Giver – Where the Cycle Breaks Full Track Listing:

1. Shock of the Fall
2. The Other
3. Made It Home
4. No World To Come
5. Dancing With The Devils
6. What You Don’t Love
7. Heart of Dark
8. Pills
9. The Terror of Perfection
10. Weightless
11. When The Fire Dies

You can order the album here and via Bandcamp here. Find out more about Giver on Facebook.