Website: Barricade
Narrow styles of music are hard to create in any sort of vein that would differentiate one band from another. Ask anyone who has explored the black metal realm; 75% of bands are emulating the exact same cookie-cutter formula, leading to a muddled mess of illegible logos, incomprehensible double-bass, and cringe-inducing treble overload. And for those who enjoy flailing in the pits, it’s a similar world of cliche in the universe of hardcore. After all, once ventures beyond the basic hardcore sound, it becomes classified as something else entirely. So, stagnant it remains.
Such is the case with Barricade’s effort, Be Heard. The same successes and same mistakes are present on the album as practically any miscellaneous hardcore band: muddy downtuned guitars chug over driving drum lines while the vocals bark of rising from adversity to defeat those who are against them. Add the requisite breakdown 2/3 into the song, and it’s a formula that has held its own scene for quite a long time now. And, yes, it’s gotten completely repetitive and boring as all hell.
So what is there to say about Barricade? Unfortunately, not much. No songs jump out as spectacular (although “Fashion Police” is fun), yet none are so terrible that they must be skipped. The production isn’t fabulous either, and some of the timing feels off at times. But it’s hardcore. What is there to say? You know what you’re getting. Nothing new is brought to the table whatsoever and Be Heard will likely have its fans who single them out, but nobody outside of the scene should bother to care.
