Album Review: PUSH! – Dark Dive

PUSH! are a young hardcore quintet from Portugal who blend new school hardcore with old school metal and crossover influences and they have now released their third full length, Dark Dive. Since 2015 PUSH! have played extensively in Spain and in their native Portugal, along the way sharing the stage with the likes of Madball, Strife, Backtrack, Brutality Will Prevail, Sworn Enemy, Devil In Me and For The Glory. PUSH! are now set to spread their wings into mainland Europe and beyond with the release of their latest album, along with an accompanying European tour.

How many bands lie amidst your collection or playlist from Portugal? the answer in my case was surprisingly zero, which means that PUSH! are spearheading the rise of a scene from a part of the world that has been underrepresented… until now. A short brutal introduction confirms this album lies firmly in crossover territory, from here you’re in for a heavyweight album that regularly veers deep into he metallic side of hardcore. The majority of the tracks on Dark Dive are as you’d expect, sub three minute blasts that are characterised by crushing riffs and growled and barked vocals that convey rage and resistance, with only the tender interlude of Left With Memories providing any respite from the storm.

PUSH! are recommended for fans of the likes of Madball, Deez Nuts and Stamping Ground, along with those who hold an affection for early thrash metal titans like Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura and Anthrax and influential crossover bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and S.O.D. Whether Dark Dive is an album for you will depend greatly on whether your tastes cross the boundary into the metal world, for me band’s like PUSH! will always be at their best when experienced live, but if your tastes do lie towards the metallic side of town then PUSH! are a band that are well worth investigating.

PUSH! can be found on Facebook here and Twitter here

Dark Dive can be streamed and purchased here