Formed in 2012 by guitarist/vocalist Nakia Romero, vocalist Greg Lebeau, and drummer Matt Johnson from the remains of the melodic Ft. Lauderdale hardcore band A New Belief, Loyal Until Death had one focus in mind: to combine the old-school metal and hardcore elements of the bands they listened to growing up, blending fast-paced, punk beats, shredding guitar riffs, the likes of the old NYHC bands, to slow, heavy stomp down riffs in the veins of such bands like Crowbar. They released their debut album towards the end of 2013, and after parting ways with Matt the following year, they recruited Lance Martinan returned to the studio to record the three-song “Two To The Chest-One To The Head” EP, which they self-released under their own 7th Avenue Records. After a hiatus, they are now returning with their second full-length album, ‘Remain Defiant’, to be released on July 7th.
This definitely has its feet in two camps, as it is the hardcore to the max, yet also very much a metal album. It is incredibly intense, and there is no let-up from the beginning to the end as the band are determined to take no prisoners. The two singers are perfect for this style of music, and there is the feeling that they are always on the edge, with a drummer who I am sure could switch his skills to grindcore if he needed to, such is his speed across the kit. It is his pounding brutality that ensures that those in front of him keep their energy levels up, as there is no way that they can afford to fall behind. It is this versatility across the kit, and the way that the band know when not to play, as well as knowing when to hit it hard, that makes this such a dynamic album.
Hardcore rarely gets better than this, as the guys have a solidity and presence that makes them stand out from the crowd. The Florida death scene has had nearly as much impact on them as the New York Hardcore crowd, and it shows. This album is also available through Bandcamp so why not give it a blast
