I was sent this as a digital copy, but when I checked how it was being made available I was a little surprised to see that WAR Records are releasing it as a four-song cassette or as a ten-song CD which includes the band's 2014 demo and the track "Deceive". I can’t remember when I last saw that something was being released on tape, it’s certainly been a while. Shadow of Doubt are described as a blue-collar powerhouse that is a major part of the new breed of Texas hardcore. Featuring former members of Bitter End, Hardside, and more, the band combines their love for crossover, hardcore, punk, and metal, with powerful and memorable riffs reminiscent of the classic NYHC sound, resulting in the perfect soundtrack for this modern age of quarrel. No Mercy combines crushing riffs in the vein of Cro-Mags and Leeway while maintaining a modern sound reminiscent of Mizery, Take Offense, and Beautiful Ones.
Their sound is interesting in that is often quite a lot slowed than I would expect from a hardcore outfit, much more in a metal vein than even punk, and it will be interesting to see how they progress from here. Listen for yourself at https://shadowofdoubthc.bandcamp.com
