Album Review: Violation Wound – Dying to Live, Living to Die (Peaceville Records)

Continuing on from last year’s With Man in Charge, the returning line-up of Autopsy (& former Abscess) mastermind Chris Reifert on guitars and vocals, alongside Bassist Joe Orterry & drummer Matt O’Connell, indulge in a new ferocious attack of violent and head-pounding punk, rupturing the eardrums with Reifert’s trademark rabid delivery during new album Dying to Live, Living to Die, due for release on Peaceville on 1st November. Violation Wound present 18 tracks – a sneering, unrelenting aural assault on the current world climate amid its demise, and the continuing deterioration of minds & societies.

Chris Reifert says:

It’s the equivalent of feeling a brick to the back of the head repeatedly until you pass out or learn to like it. We’ve been chugging along for 6 years now and we’re a bunch of fun-loving dudes who aren’t afraid to lay the musical smackdown on shit that we think is deserving. As you can probably tell from our lyrics, we’re pretty much inspired by all the crazy and/or fucked up stuff that’s happening in the world, in our minds or just in the neighborhood if there’s a psycho in it!

The brick to the head analogy is a good one as it really does describe just what listening to Dying to Live, Living to Die is like. An album of furious hardcore punk, the trio of Violation Wound do some serious damage here with a wild and confrontational listen.

Only one track goes over the 3 minute mark and the majority actually fall around the minute and a half mark. That should give you some example of the intensity that exists in this album. Intensity that literally never lets up. Violation Wound are very focused here and have a ton to say about the current world we live in.

Taking no prisoners with their opinions and thoughts (as all punk should), the likes of Guns! Guns! Guns!, No Consequence, Dead Flags, Last Pill in the Bottle and Insult Culture showcase their strong take in the most punk way possible.

Surprisingly, Violation Wound do a good job of keeping things fresh and interesting. Considering the sheer amount of tracks, the album could have very easily started to mesh together making it easy to disconnect from it. They do a good job of varying things up just at the point when it could start to get boring. These moments don’t necessarily move to far from the hardcore punk roots of the album but instead throw out something to knock any cobwebs out.

Not that there will be much of those left by time the latter part of the album comes alongside. It sees Violation Wound tear it up in ways that can only be described as ‘painful and angry’.

Violation Wound – Dying To Live, Living to Die Full Track Listing:

1. Off With His Head
2. Guns! Guns! Guns!
3. No Consequence
4. Follower
5. Lack Of Focus
6. Dead Flags
7. Exorcism Of Ignorance
8. Neighborhood Psycho
9. The Day Lemmy Died
10. Stress Bomb
11. Chainsaw Brain
12. Dying To Live, Living To Die
13. Last Pill In The Bottle
14. Pay To Hate
15. Insult Culture
16. Pick Up The Crumbs
17. Losers And Freaks
18. Hostage

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