Four years on from the controversial Deathless, Throwdown have returned to their roots, dispensing with melodic choruses in place of some good old-fashioned metalcore bludgeoning.
Fight Or Die starts things off in suitably boisterous fashion, before Borrowed Time and Avow arm themselves with precision metal riffs, crushing breakdowns and a return to the barked vocals that promote the values of straightedge, standing up for yourself and other hallmarks of the scene that birthed them.
The title track is a bruising call to arms of razor-sharp chugging, while the relentless velocity of Without Weakness is destined to cause mayhem at the band’s infamously punishing shows.
Though Dave Peters’ vocals are fairly monotonous and the likes of Defend With Violence and Suffer, Conquer are unspectacular, the change in direction has certainly revitalised Throwdown, with the closing Condemned To Live’s Pantera-tinged riffs and merciless breakdown owing as much to their recent output as their roots, resulting in one of their finest songs to date.
