Crucible - Unshattered

If ever a disc warranted, no demanded, repeat listens to fully comprehend it's scope, this is the one. Creating some of the most realized, yet off the wall riffs, Derek Haderman leads his crew though almost a full hour of the heaviest music I've heard eminate from the island. So why the need for repeat listens? Well, while the opening tracks grab you by the throat, many of the middle tracks contain more than is immediately apparent, things better discovered under the influence of headphones, I might add. For me, one of the band's true strengths lies in the interplay between Haderman and Kili Kaohu (who performs drum tracks on roughly one third of the album). Check out the title track, Overcoming or the At the Gates inspired Citizens to see what I'm talking about. Vocally, I'd say that Crucible leans more towards a hardcore approach, in that Mike Ching's delivery sticks to the forceful, rather than straying to the experimental (no pagan elves singing in the backround on this one...). Add it all up and you get Hawaii's finest delivering their first studio effort to mass appeal. Expect great things from these guys, as tour experience has given them more solidity and greater breadth. One of the better independent releases I've heard or seen in some time.