EP REVIEW: Crush The Machine – Dead End America

Like it or not, hardcore was always meant to be political. Most of the genre’s pioneering bands formed as a direct response to the political situation they found themselves in. Back then, disenfranchised youths railed against the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan – a celebrity turned president who pushed right-wing policies and was incredibly popular with evangelicals – sound familiar? With this in mind, it’s a bit of a surprise there aren’t more bands like DEAD END AMERICA around today.

The group, referred to as D.E.A. for short, unites experienced rockers from the hardcore scene and beyond. Among them are current and former members of POISON IDEA, KYUSS, EYEHATEGOD, THE ACCUSED, WORLD OF LIES and APE MACHINE. Together they’ve crafted four old-school hardcore tracks which serve as “a condemnation of the criminal Trump administration and republican party.” The result is a short seven inch EP, appropriately titled Crush The Machine.

While the tone of the record is very much pissed off – there is an emotional note to it. It’s the final release to feature the talents of the late drummer and producer Steve ‘Thee Slayer Hippy’ Hanford of POISON IDEA. Hanford cooked up the concept for DEAD END AMERICA with guitarist Tony Avila in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. They soon brought in a host of friends to help, but sadly Hanford passed away before the record saw completion. As a result Crush The Machine serves as a final testament to Hanford’s impressive musical skill. His drumming is pretty straightforward on this record, but it’s still consistently blistering and hard-hitting. He also delivers a deranged, abrasive vocal performance on the EP’s breakneck opener, Dead White Hands. Rest In Peace.

Musically, the record is firmly in the spirit of the pioneering metal-tinged hardcore of bands like THE ACCUSED, DISCHARGE, and POISON IDEA. It may be a tried and tested formula with a long history, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. Crush The Machine is raucous, raw, and loads of fun. Also, while technically divided into four tracks, it definitely gives listeners value for money. Most songs comprise several shorter pieces which make the record feel like far more than four tracks, even despite it’s short runtime.

Each song on Crush The Machine features lyrics and vocals by a different member of the band. As one might expect, these are definitely a stand out feature of the record. If the album’s artwork, and song titles didn’t make DEAD END AMERICA‘s target clear, the lyrics definitely do. Highlights include “Give me a T, give me an R, give me a U, M, P. What’s that spell? DICKHEAAAAD!” on second track Twitter Troll, and “Burn down the White House, take out the trash. Assassinate Donnie, take all his cash”  on the next song Bullet For 45 (Straight From A .45).

Twitter Troll is definitely an overall highlight as well. It’s perhaps the most blistering of all the songs on Crush The Machine, and features lead vocals from Nick Oliveri [KYUSS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MONDO GENERATOR]. Like everyone on Crush The Machine, Oliveri, who also handles bass duties, sounds completely incensed. He spits his bile-filled lyrics with such savage anger, and you can tell he means every word.

Another performer who definitely deserves as shout-out on Crush The Machine is lead guitarist Ian Watts. There’s no denying that the APE MACHINE axeman is having a lot of fun on this record. Three of the four tracks feature short, frantic guitar solos which add another layer to the band’s chaotic sound. He’s no John Petrucci, but his playing is a perfect match to the music, even in a genre which started out as notoriously anti-guitar solo.

Hardcore has come a long way in its 40+ years of existence. Over the years, its endless sub-genres and myriad of local scenes have spawned some of the very best music around. Every so often though, it’s good to be reminded where it all came from. Crush The Machine does exactly that. It’s everything hardcore should be – political, angry, fast and raw. Most importantly, the whole thing is over in just seven minutes! It may well be a one off – DEAD END AMERICA are surely hoping they don’t have to make another like it – but, for now, we have this timely, enjoyable record, which should leave listeners fired up and full of energy.

Rating: 8/10

Crush The Machine is out now via Southern Lord.

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