Ruiner – Hell Is Empty

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Ruiner

Hell Is Empty - Bridge Nine Records

On Hell Is EmptyRuiner pushes pass their signature Bridge Nine hardcore sound to evolve into a band that no longer sits on the fringes of the hardcore scene and into one that has the potential to be one of the leaders of the styles.

Pushing the boundaries of hardcore, Ruiner add much more depth and restraint in their songs – building the anger and energy through carefully calculated anticipation that pulsates as it grows rather than simply pummelling the listener into submission. Extending the lengths of their songs a bit on here, Ruiner no longer blasts through track after track in just over a minute; instead they increase the songs length to an average of two to three minutes which gives them a bit more time to develop the song through tight instrumentations and some added melodic qualities. That’s not saying they don’t know how to barrel through it though as they still have a few quick ones like the minute long Committed and the opening blast of I’m Out.

While their hardcore/post-hardcore instrumentation – be it the high pitched feedback on Meat, the chugging guitars, or the sturdy drumming supporting the low-end bass lines  – work together to instil a sense of urgency and intensity, it is the vocals that really push Ruiner ahead of it’s companions. Vocalist Rob Sullivan delivers passionate, pointed, introspective and compelling lyrics in a deep and coarse delivery that hinges in the midst of melodic hardcore and straight out hardcore, practically forcing the listener to want to sing along.

The lyrics are smarter and more compelling than the average outing as well. Sullivan seeks out and describes the worst in people and society – be it humanity as a whole in Dead Weight or the more immediate music scene in Two WordsConvenient Gods is a heavier track that examines the use of fath and gods in society while Part 1 and Part2 are much more introspective and personal (with lyrics like Some good things aren’t meant to be. Nothing is meant for me. There is no fairy tale ending. There is no happily ever after. You just live, you just die, but maybe you’re a lucky one.)

Straight out hardcore purists may not fully devour Ruiner’s slightly expanded sound but Hell Is Empty shows a band progressing and adding a lot more depth to their repertoire and it has the potential to really propel them forward.