"Negligent Acts of Calculated Recklessness" is the latest album from New York based DOOMSDAY MOURNING (a quick pause to appreciate the badass band name). The ten-track album is a prime example of East Coast hardcore. "Negligent Acts of Calculated Recklessness" features some seriously heavy, sludgy guitar work, raging blast beats and seriously passionate vocals. Many of the tracks feature members of other bands singing or speaking guest verses and is only a few featured artists away from a rap album. The general theme of the album is anger and having a fuck-all attitude lightly sprinkled with some self-deprecation.

As great as the instrumentation is, the lyrics lack imagination and left a bitter taste in my mouth. But judging by the subject of the songs and the general attitude the front man possesses, I would imagine that the writing style is intentional and that they really don't give a shit what I think of the lyrics. "Negligent Acts of Calculated Recklessness" features random intervals of "spoken word" in the vein of BLOOD FOR BLOOD. "Imposed Attrition" has a short rap verse by Michael Cro that was unexpected but heightened the energy of the track. Cro speaks on the outro of the track as well, running through a list of adjectives to describe the band like "ignorant", "dirty" and "violent" (all suffixed with 'shit') through the last minute and a half of the song. The other spoken instances in tracks like "Cold Hell", "A Present From Knowledge" are angry ramblings to unnamed people who have offended the speaker or somehow wound up on his bad side. The two other spoken bits expose some deeply personal insights. "Perception Management" lets us know that apologies and sympathy exist so the singer can more easily "manipulate the situation", a good thing to know for any future friends and lovers. As harsh as I am about the negativity presented in the album, "An Exercise In Futility" shows a vulnerable and apologetic image of the singer with the very forward and honest statement of: "I've got a bad habit of forgetting who my friends are, I've treated them like shit and in retrospect I'm embarrassed at what a failure I've become, and frightened about how insecurities can make a person become undone". I can appreciate self-reflection and honesty in music especially if the band presents itself the way DOOMSDAY MOURNING does on the album. "Negligent Acts of Calculated Recklessness" is hard-hitting, honest album with messages that may seem too crass or difficult to swallow for some people but is unarguably solid, thought out and well constructed.