EP REVIEW: Held In Contempt – Doubt

DOUBT are just a small part of the larger Baltimore hardcore scene rejuvenation as it rears its head once again since its last biggest hitters TRAPPED UNDER ICE came up. Although they may be a small part, they sure have a big bite, proving it on their debut EP Held In Contempt. Recorded at Corpus Studios in New York, who’ve recorded bands like SHOW ME THE BODY for a long time and more recently MSPAINT and SYMBIOTE ATL — it is clear DOUBT were only interested in pulling out the big guns for their debut. 

Whilst Held In Contempt may open with a mid-tempo that is easier to keep up with in Doubt 2 – maybe it’s something to acclimate the palate – this is in no way a sign of the violent pace they end up subjecting the listener to for the rest of the six-track EP. Amongst that pace though is the conviction to say whatever feels most needed with an unforgettable delivery. Claire Abila’s gnarled growls could clot your blood, make your faith waiver, derange your conceptions of the world around you with simple and assertive lyricism on L.V.A.S where she snarls “Fuck your ego, fuck your pride / You can’t run, you can’t hide”. That simplicity is the roaring engine of DOUBT and what makes their debut such an exciting nine minutes of listening. 

We’re currently at a place in time where hope can often feel like a commodity to some of us, and in this time is a woman like Abila laying down the lyrics “I will not be objectified” on The Hard Way in a completely feral manner. Two things stick out; one being how powerfully she rattles the line off; and two being that when you listen to this as a man remember that this is the bare minimum amount of respect that you owe AFAB and femme people, and it happens so little that Abila has felt passionately compelled to tear her vocal chords up in her delivery of that lyric. It’s fury fuelled and energised by the motivation of clapping back, not being afraid or intimidated by creeps.

Even from the start it’s clear that DOUBT are a force of nature that’s acting out and tearing lamp posts from the ground, ripping roofs from houses, and capable of moving mountains. Not literally, but you know how it sounds. They’re clear to be some of the most fervent up and comers this year in the scene. 

Rating: 9/10

Held In Contempt is set for release on July 12th via Get Better Records.

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