Imagine it is 1998, in a small town near Modena, Italy. From the ashes of local Hardcore and Metal, BROWBEAT arise to create the most intense music possible. The musically infused angst, heaviness, and aggressive vocals are signed after few months the band sign with top independent Italian label Vacation House Records in May 1999. The band start the recording sessions for the debut album "No Salvation," released April 2000, which received critical acclaim. August 2002, the band heads into the studio to start the recordings of the second album "Audioviolence".  The record shows BROWBEAT's evolution of blending haunting melodies, raged rapped vocal parts, throat-ripping growls, new edge school guitar riffs, without losing the sight of the band's roots. In late 2002 British Casket Music/Copro Records gets in touch with BROWBEAT and in January 2003, the band flew to the UK to ink a worldwide deal for the second album released April 2003. BROWBEAT have toured Europe extensively both headlining and as support. After such success and the release of "Eve Of Darkness" in 2005, the band disbanded in 2007. After a ten-year hiatus, BROWBEAT have returned with a new album. Will "Remove The Control," released March 1, 2019, live up to its predecessors? Let's have a listen and see.

The first track "The New Slavery Nations," is a small intro accompanied by a sample of someone getting fired from their job. The music itself already holds the sounds of HATEBREED and KING'S 810. This could be good. As the second track, "The Labor Blackmail" kicks up the speed with thrashing guitars and double pedal bass drum thumps. The vocals of M.V. definitely throw reminders of Jamey Jasta. The music seems to get your blood pumping and ready for the next song. The fourth track, "A Forgotten Number," comes in with even more heaviness. The double bass throws the song into a full-out riot. The guitar riffs give off a blood boiling vibe that makes you wanna rip off someone's head. M.V.'s anger seems to throw gas on an already lit fire. "Nothing More And Nothing Less" comes in with some piano play underlying a woman's voice speaking. The song itself is a detachment from every previous song. It is more like an instrumental interlude before "A Personal War" comes into play. The call of "Look into my eyes" brings you back to what the band is all about. It has a slow powerful progression into the chorus that holds more of a fast pace. This is probably where the pit at their live concert gets a bit violent. The last song of the album is "Remove The Control...Till Death!!"  The song begins with muffled drums and guitar laying beneath. The samples heard seem to be someone speaking before a government house about labor laws and pay. The chorus itself brings the band full force with lyrics of "I hate the system; I hate this life." They seem to want to point out the flaws in federal labor laws and make a powerful statement while doing so.

BROWBEAT, even after such a long time, still stick to their roots while bringing a new age flavor with their style of Hardcore metal. With this being my first listen to the band, I could not help but add these guys to my playlist. Although the album itself is under thirty minutes, it is worth giving a listen. It had me revisiting some of the bands that were gathering dust on my shelf, while finding new music to pump some iron to. Let us hope there will not be another ten-year span for another album.