Ignoring musical trends, the L.A. based hardcore band Terror was founded in 2002 and after releasing a couple of much praised, classic records they’re now stepping into the ring with their third “full-length”. Terror is a band that defends the old school hardcore ethics, but on the other hand they’re appealing for young generation of hardcore and (!) metal fans. Their endless energy, together with their commitment and dedication to the scene have brought them far and with the release of The Damned, The Shamed they once again display music, packed with aggressive energy.

Immediately with ‘Voice Of The Damned’ you know you’re listening to a Terror-record. The sound… the vocals of Scott Vogel… the breakdowns… everything breaths Terror. Uncompromisable hardcore-anthems performed with a lot of anger and enough parts to scream along live. They haven’t done spectacular changes or something, but they do take some gas back at the end of ‘Betrayer’ and that works out really well. While singing “why am I in so much pain this time” it definitely causes the lyrics to have a bigger impact on the listener. The impact of the whole album is less than with for example Lowest Of The Low, but still they deliver a killer album.

After seeing them live two times last month, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this record. With their performances in Tilburg and Haarlem they proved to be one of the current leaders of the hardcore scene and that was without playing any new song. After listening to The Damned, The Shamed it becomes clear that this spot is really justified. This will definitely be one of the best hardcore releases of 2008 and it will probably end up high in my personal year list.