Madball
Empire

They might not be Sick Of It All, but Madball also make one hell of a damn racket.

After a significant silence since "Infiltrate The System", Freddy Cricien's group makes a pretty clear and direct message to all the frustrated and angry kids who harbor the illusion that merely abusing a distorted guitar will make them a metal star: "leave the furiously intense music to the oldies, and go wipe the milk off your lips". Yes, because Madball might have 22 years of pure N.Y. hardcore behind them and a troubled history, with constant line-up changes, but when it comes to violence and rawness, they have nothing to envy of anyone, and "Empire" is yet another proof of that. Gentlemen, we are talking about Freddy the bastard's band, one whose best friend was a baseball bat, if you know what I mean. And if you add to all this the fact that a certain Erik Rutan (already noted with the latest Cannibal Corpse, not exactly tender trembling lambs) is handling the production to metalize Madball's sound to incredible levels, we only arrive at one possible conclusion: "Empire" is a powerful kick in the ass.

The album kicks off with "Invigorate", a tremendous seismic shock with crushing rhythms and razor-sharp guitars: a splendid appetizer for the connoisseurs. And the momentum doesn't let up: listen to "Danger Zone", and we'll see if you don't feel like smashing the TV and storming out into the street with your fist raised high. Freddy's performance is insane, and to make his protest screams more convincing, he tries everything, from tearing his throat apart in "Empire", to recruiting dear big brother Roger Miret for the bomb "Shatterproof". Not to mention "Con Fuerza", where to cause more havoc, our beloved rebel sings in Spanish. Sixteen bullets that fly through the air and ruthlessly hit your temples, infusing an inner energy that will almost overflow. The good times might have passed, but not for Madball, a group that continues to thrill with consistency and passion and doesn't miss a beat.

But, really, why dwell on pointless descriptions? All you have to do is press "Play", relax, and let the "mad ball" devastate everything once again in its path. UH!