Soul Control – Cycles

According Rhode Island’s Soul Control, the band once commented that it would be “happy not releasing a full-length and touring for the remainder of their career.”  Had that happened, I would not likely be sitting here writing this review, and the hardcore community would be out one very decent band.  Thankfully though, the four-piece jumped at the opportunity to sign with one of the biggest names in hardcore, Bridge Nine Records, and now have a twelve-track full length debut called Cycles.  And based on Cycles, it’s safe to say that Soul Control are well positioned to become another well-respected name on the hardcore landscape.

Soul Control doesn’t exactly break any new ground, but it is incredibly solid – albeit slightly formulaic – hardcore.  The album opens on a rather vicious note, with “Beyond Words” launching into a frenzied hardcore assault not unlike that characteristic of labelmates Dead Swans.  From there on in the band scales back the tempo for a few tracks, focusing on building energy through a thickly plucked bass and rather reserved breakdowns.  Tracks like “Pursuing Ghosts” trudge along at a sludgy pace, but infuse these slower sections with sudden noisy bursts of energy.  While it keeps the release fairly entertaining, it eventually becomes slightly predictable, although no less energetic.

Unfortunately this predictability finds the band tripping over itself at about the half way mark.  Tracks like “Playing Coward,” “You’d Sing Too,” and “Fundamental Forces” blend together in style and substance, making for a rather stagnant experience.  Thankfully, Cycles regains its stride once hitting “End Times,” which opens with an unexpectedly melodic set of chord progressions and refreshingly original take on Rory Van Grol’s traditionally raw hardcore vocals.  Another instance of originality surfaces as a hidden track, in which the band strips itself down to handclaps and acoustics and performs a straight up soul number.  If Soul Control could harness these moments of distinctive personality and employ them more frequently, Cycles might have been something quite special.

So when all is said and done, Soul Control provides a promising but flawed release.  Cycles fits right in with other Bridge Nine releases and holds its own nicely when compared with today’s hardcore scene in general.  Occasionally moments of originality surface – hinting at what the band might have accomplished with a little more direction – but on a crowded landscape filled with dedicated hardcore acts, Soul Control needs that extra something to help differentiate themselves from their peers.  Still, it’s pretty good, and hardcore enthusiasts will likely find a fair amount of enjoyment in Cycles.