When we are dealing with the fusion of Metal with Punk Rock or Hardcore, we are dealing with bands like MOTORHEAD (the father of it all, mind you), TANK, WARFARE and others. But there are those bands that really prefer to stay with a Hardcore sound with some Metal influences. This is the case of S.O.D. (the father of it all in the Hardcore side of history), D.R.I., ENGLISH DOGS, C.O.C., and many others, who gave birth to what we call Crossover. So we can say that the Portuguese quartet SCUM LIQUOR is a Crossover band, but with more Hardcore than Metal influences on their musical work, as their first album "Vicious Street Scum" show us clearly.

We can really say that they are a Hardcore/Crossover band, with influences as DISCHARGE and from bands of Finnish Hardcore scene (RATTUS and TERVEET KADET, I mean), with a dirty, aggressive and straight sound in our faces, but of course they do their best, having Hardcore vocals (hear them and you'll see from where bands as BATHORY took their earlier influences), very good riffs, and a strong work from bass and drums, creating a powerful rhythmic session. And this all gathered together brings them an aggressive and raw music that is good by now, but shows clear signs that will be better in the future.

The sound quality is raw. But if you're a Hardcore fan, or someone who knows the style-pretty well will understand that this is the quality that the style demands. Something to clear would damage their work severely. With not so long songs, they really are doing a good work and songs as "Lifetime Scum" (not so fast as Hardcore bands used to be in the first track of an album, having very good guitars), "Destruction Is My Path" (this one is a truly and fast song in the vein of Hardcore masters, with very good presence of bass guitar and drums, and pay attention to the guitars and you'll hear something that reminds METALLICA's "Seek And Destroy" classical riffs), the hooking "Toxic Necropolis" (fine vocals can be heard here, along with another fine drums' work), and "I Kill Everything I Fuck" are true testimonies of what Hardcore is about. But as I said above, their potential is beyond that.

Good work, guys.
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