With a name like NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER, you'd better bring it, right? That's exactly what this band does with their album "The Bones That Grew From Pain." From the first song to the last, NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER is heavy and intense and in-your-face. This is exactly the kind of hardcore album I needed in my life and you need it too. Also, what is it about Australia that it produces some of the absolute best hardcore and metalcore bands?

NICOLAS CAGE FIGHTER is another band out showing the world that heavy music is more than just screaming and noise - it can have a message and it can be socially conscious. It has substance. And for those of us who actually enjoy the loud noise, it has plenty of that too. It's clear from the first song on the album that this band is out to spread a message. One of the lyrics that stood out to me in "Grey Eye" was the line "Hold yourself responsible, you can only shift the blame for long."

Then again in the title track "The Bones That Grew From Pain," the lyrics that caught my ear were "So will you take it upon yourself to keep moving forward? Or will you cower in defeat waiting for death?" This song is dark in that it recognizes how fear of failure can be overpowering, but it's also hopeful in that it shows why you should push past those fears and negative feelings and continue to work hard. This band really has some top tier lyric writing to go along with their killer musicianship.

"Heretic's View" is meaannnnn, straight up filthy. This is probably the heaviest song on the album and it has one of the sickest breakdowns. Side note: Isn't it just lovely how in metal music we use the most vile, negative words to describe it, but that's actually a good thing? I mean this is stank face music. The riffs are chunky, the drums make it feel like your heart is beating too fast, and Nicholas Moriarty has some of the most perfect hardcore vocals I've heard.

I hope this band continues to make waves in the hardcore scene and spread their sound across the world. I see they've got some Australian shows lined up, but I would love to eventually see them in my small corner of the planet. I could (and I have) listen to this album over and over. It's really solid from beginning to end.