By Any Means - By Any Means (Self-Released) By: Ken McGrath

[7.5/10] First things first, this self-titled release from Northern Ireland upstarts By Any Means is an energetic little hardcore tussle that grabs you by the throat and shakes furiously until you submit and just go along with it. And that doesn’t take very long as opener “Using Both Hands” bursts out with a surging riff pushed onwards by the drums and the brutal vocals. Straightforward but never simplistic and instantly accessible due to the massive hulking choruses, but without bowing to popular convention the chant of “I’m taking back what’s mine” rings around your head. Making use of a great chugging breakdown section, with a little Zakk Wylde bend in there too for good measure, fans of Hatebreed will lap this up.

‘See It Through’ then lunges in powerfully with more tight riffing, the good production that adds snap to the songs, capturing the energy bristling with every note, drum strike and bellow. The structures may be familiar and it’s an old formula at this stage, but that doesn’t mean they don’t do it well, especially when they leave plenty of space for the pit to let loose in. The gang vocals in “See It Through” give an extra arm shoving into the final run of double-tap drums and half-time riffs, making this perfect moshing material. It’s even difficult to keep your arms down by you side while listening to this EP.

The songs flow really well into each other as “See It Through” flows into the title track, which again is armed with a great riff. Te use of the Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer sample, “now I am become death, destroyer of worlds,” works brilliantly, weaving in and out amongst the chugging riff and barked vocals.

With beatdowns aplenty and a generally positive message delivered in the cloak of hardcore immediately draws comparisons to Hatebreed. There’s also plenty of appeal here too for fans of say God Forbid and even more old school groups like Agnostic Front while those bored by the current crop of identi-kit metalcore bands should hear freshness in By Any Means bullish delivery.

The ‘live in the studio’ bonus track, “To The Point,” gives some indication of the sort of havoc these boys can do in a live venue if given half the chance, but lacking as it does the polish of the other tracks it’s a bit strange why it’s included here. The rest of the EP will kick the shit out of you though, so it’s a minor complaint.

www.myspace.com/byanymeanshardcore