ALBUM REVIEW: Broken in Refraction – Sanction

It is a pretty good year for hardcore. Having already been blessed with the return of DESOLATED and bands like KNOCKED LOOSE and ALL OUT WAR set to release new music. Both the new and the old seem to be representing their abilities with pride this year, and even the underground is kicking up an almighty fuss with new music like this impending SANCTION album, Broken In Refraction. The Long Island hardcore group have already shown their anxiety inducing, paranoia-stricken noise to tremendous positivity from the scene and music press, and this year return with another heavy and frantic slice of suffocating anger.

SANCTION forced themselves to the top of the glitchy hardcore pile with their Infringement of God’s Plan debut. Their sound littered with dissonant barbs and massive crushing slabs of guitar; the Long Island group had a lot to build off of in the writing of Broken In Refraction. Opening with an ominous sample that slowly bleeds through with static-soaked guitar before The Final Fraction officially kicks the door clean off its hinges. The sound is controlled chaos at its best, as the song evolves into a pummelling tirade of musical abuse, merely preparing the listener for what else is to come.

Answers From a Syringe displays the band intent to tackle intense social issues without hesitation, and the vicious SANCTION sound goes a long way to enhancing the strong vocal performance. By the time the final breakdown hits, it should already be abundantly clear the type of album SANCTION wanted to make with Broken In Refraction. With near enough every song clocking in below the 3-minute mark, this is a blistering album that refuses to let the group be pigeonholed. SANCTION take so many influences from death metal, hardcore, and even take aspects from the post music movement in order to seamlessly stitch the unsettling culmination of Radical Lacerations into the explosive opening of Mirror Syndrome.

Whilst the intent of the young group may be to solidify themselves as an uncategorised maelstrom, SANCTION do still feel as if they are best kept within the hardcore scene, and this is the biggest fallback from the album. Whilst they lack the easy and simple pleasures that a band as bludgeoning as KNOCKED LOOSE might offer, SANCTION remain a band with enough substance to keep fans of anger pretty loyal, but will likely be just a tad too feral for anyone new to the scene in general. Their ferocity genuinely is a double-edged sword, but it is very likely SANCTION will sharpen their ferocious edge to a point where even the laxest music fan will have to double take after listening.

All in all, Broken In Refraction is a clear line of evolution for this young, volatile band. Bringing in even more elements into their blueprint, SANCTION have been able to effectively highlight what makes them such hot property within this truly booming genre. Whilst they may lack a straightforward approach, this is an album filled with razor wire and spite. What SANCTION might have missed they simply make up for with their diverse and deeply ferocious sound. With two albums in the bag now, things are looking bright for SANCTION, and whilst they might not break far out of the scene they call home, they will break your nose.

Rating: 8/10

Broken in Refraction is set for release July 26th via Pure Noise Records.

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