Down To Nothing Higher Learning

After essentially falling off the face of the earth for several years, the good folks behind Revelation Records are trying to revive their label with a couple of high profile hardcore signings. Richmond, Virginia's Down To Nothing have released their first output for Revelation in the form of a three-song 7" featuring two strong originals and a cover of Richmond hardcore legends 4 Walls Falling. As an EP, the briefness and vinyl-only format keep it from being absolutely necessary, but as a single, it effectively showcases the band's talent and will no doubt build the hype around their upcoming full-length. "Higher Learning," a more traditional hardcore track calls to mind Revelation's heyday and bands like Judge and Bold. It definitely displays both Down To Nothing's general style and their committment to the roots of hardcore. It ends with a more modern double-bass bit, but it's fairly straightforward old school hardcore and it's catchy, anthemic and memorable in all the ways hardcore should be. "Alright Already" prominently features a guitar line that borders on ska in much the way Boston greats The Trouble did on "Dead and Gone." It's a bit shocking to hear at first, but it fits quite well into the song and shows that Down To Nothing aren't afraid to experiment a bit. The final track, a cover of 4 Walls Falling's "Burn It!" does the now-defunct Jade Tree band proud. Dave Wood can pull off the more melodic vocal style well and infuses the track with his own intensity. The recording is consistent throughout this release and seems to intentionally channel the no-frills recording style of most of their 80's and 90's influences. At just over 7 minutes, the entire package feels too meager to really get excited about, but it's a nice teaser of what the band might have in store: well-done traditional hardcore with its head in the right place and a strong dose of attitude. Bottom Line: Down To Nothing seem to be a great fit for Revelation Records, as their main influences are definitely hardcore bands of the late 80's and early 90's. Although I wasn't a huge fan of their material on Thorp, this single has my interest piqued in their upcoming Revelation full-length. Vinyl fans shouldn't hesitate to pick this up while everyone else waits patiently for their CD debut from Revelation.