Hardcore Punk is a genre that, admittedly, I am not very familiar with. What I do know from listening to UK-based CIRCLE OF RAGE, is that they are perhaps more politically charged than most other punk bands in existence; such is a true Punk Rocker's mantra. Their short and sharp blasts of songs, which are surprising in their individual right in terms of musical technicality, are the beasts upon the back of which ride the band's message and philosophy, which is to question everything and to oppose the establishment.

As per most punk songs, many of the tracks on this album are kept well under 3 minutes, with many of them even below the 2 minute mark. Can we expect a minute and a half of blast-fueled violence? Once or twice!  "Beyond the Barricades" and especially "OVFE" surge with pounding Punk and Metal riffs. Contrastingly, "Freedom Credits" and "Cui Bono" take an approach towards slower tempos, a much more somber atmosphere (especially in the former) and leanings towards melodic and rhythmic progressions. The fact that the band has demonstrated a commendable ability to incorporate big ideas into a comparatively tiny time frame speaks for itself.

Backtracking a bit we have "Unnatural Selection", one of the 'longer' tracks on this record (2 and a half minutes!), which is arguably about as complex and technical as Hardcore Punk can get; I'm noticing multiple metal genres creep through here with Thrashy projections and progressive flourishes I could expect from MEGADETH and DREAM THEATRE, respectively. The final track, "A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing" is unique in that it dwarfs all of the other tracks in length, at just over 6 minutes. If Progressive Punk Metal were a genre, this would be the archetypal album-length track. Shown off on this album is the full extent of the band members' proficiency as musicians, with many melodic patterns that could be described as hauntingly beautiful.

CIRCLE OF RAGE's musical stratagem builds far more on the tried and true formula purveyed by Punk bands before them, and can only work to get the masses to hear what they have to say.