ALBUM REVIEW: The Path To Righteousness – Grove Street
Good things take time, as the old cliché goes. This is certainly what it must feel like for crossover thrash quintet GROVE STREET whose debut album has been a long time coming since they first formed a decade ago during their student days in Southampton. This amount of experience from the rehearsal studio and the underground live circuit under their belt has resulted in a first full-length The Path To Righteousness that is marked by a cohesive identity, and delivered with assuredness and quality.
The moody synthwave intro of Regressing Forward could fit right into a new Stranger Things series, but the real deal starts with Hunting Season. While its catchy hardcore-punk inspired riffs showcase what to expect, its slower tempo slightly misfires as an opener. What does immediately grab the attention is the buzzy metallic bass sound, reminiscent of that of OVERKILL’s D.D. Verni, which along with effective groovy drums, provides the perfect underbelly to the sharp riffage.
Lessons Of The Past lands more convincingly, playing with GRANDMASTER FLASH’s immortal “Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge” refrain from The Message which works a treat as a midtempo crossover stomp. By the title track The Path To Righteousness and its follower Ulterior Motives the five really get cooking – that one-two punch is a definite high point of the record.
GROVE STREET wear their influences on their sleeve, with a clear lineage back to the classic crossover sound of the late 80s and early 90s – fans of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, ANTHRAX, MUNICIPAL WASTE and POWER TRIP will find lots to like among the mixture of speed metal and hardcore punk, punctured by with snappy tempo changes and catchy grooves. All the elements fit with cohesion, completed by vocals delivered with the right attitude and lyrical themes tackling topics of resisting authority, police brutality and overcoming personal struggles.
Whilst not seeking to reinvent any wheels, GROVE STREET play with a sound that is relatively underserved these days despite being an absolute stone cold recipe for bangers. The songs are high quality throughout, if only let down slightly by a sequencing that doesn’t let them flow as smoothly as it could. Regardless, the monster riffs of closer Cycle of Grief end the record on a high.
With The Path To Righteousness, GROVE STREET have made an entertaining and catchy debut record which will scratch the itch of anyone longing after that familiar crossover thrash sound, and give your neck a bloody good workout in the process.
Rating: 7/10
The Path To Righteousness is out now via UNFD.
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