Only Crime Virulence

In 2004, supergroup Only Crime released their debut album To The Nines, a record that blended the individual styles of the group's members seamlessly into eleven thoroughly enjoyable tracks. Aaron Dalbec (formerly of Converge, currently of Bane), Russ Rankin (Good Riddance), Bill Stevenson (Descendents, All) and the Blair brothers (Hagfish, Gwar) joined forces on that album and the result was a solid slab of melodic hardcore. Three years later, Only Crime have gotten together again and their new album, Virulence, raises the bar even higher. Dalbec and Blair's guitar work is more interesting than it has been on their respective full-time bands' albums, Stevenson's drumming is solid and recognizable as always, and Rankin's vocals have far more presence and personality than most of his peers. Virulence is an inspiring album of thinking man's hardcore that should appeal to anyone who believes something new and interesting can actually be done with the genre. Those familiar with the previous work of Only Crime's respective members should have a general idea of what to expect. Russ Rankin is a talented vocalist and lyricist whose gruff vocals and melodic ability actually remind me of an edgier version of Descendents' vocalist Milo Aukerman. Rankin's vocals must be a comfortable fit for drummer Bill Stevenson who has spent nearly thirty years with that legendary punk outfit. Stevenson's drumming has always stood out to me and I've never heard another punk drummer that plays quite like him. His combination of laid-back surf and rolling punk gets kicked into high gear here and he sounds even better than usual. One of the big surprises for most listeners will probably be the imaginative guitar work. While Dalbec hasn't necessarily been pushing himself in the traditionally-styled Bane and Blair's days in Hagfish didn't necessarily win him much acclaim, these guys are both incredibly talented and Only Crime is apparently their prime creative outlet. The foundation of most of these songs can be traced to 90's melodic hardcore, but the rest of the guitar work ranges in style from the angular punk of SST Records circa 1981 to more modern sounds and patterns. Factor in that the end result of all of these elements is one of the catchiest records I've heard in a long time and you'll hopefully realize just what a feat this is. Bottom Line: A lot of hardcore fans seem resigned to the fact that there is nothing left to be done with the style. It's nice to see that these long-time veterans have gotten together to do something about that complacency. While it might not seem like what they're doing is necessarily anything "new," the manner in which all the pieces fit together is both strikingly unique and incredibly listenable. While I wouldn't mind seeing most of these guys focus on Only Crime full-time, I'll gladly wait another two and a half years for another record as good as Virulence.