Volcano NO WAY BACK

The first thing most people said after listening to Columbus hardcore band Volcano’s debut EP FOOL 2 THA GAME in 2022 was “I bet this’ll kill live,” and they weren’t wrong. The term beatdown gets thrown around a lot, both as a genre and a descriptor of certain live environments at shows, and while I personally prefer the term dance music, it paints Volcano to a T. Probably one of the scariest shows I’ve ever been to was a packed local gig with Volcano at Dirty Dungarees in Columbus, Ohio. We were crammed into a literal laundromat, body to body, in what had to be eighty-something degree heat, and they just kept pummeling us with an onslaught of chugs. They played an as of yet unreleased song, and it gave me a little bit of pause because there were elements of what could only be described as nu metal throughout. Those palm-muted chugs were a little bouncier than usual, and there were even some harmonics thrown in. I wasn’t sure what to think then, although that’s what repeated blows to the head will do to you, but after a bit of time with their brand new surprise two track EP NO WAY BACK, I kind of get it.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, the line between nu metal and what people call beatdown (heavy, down-tuned metallic hardcore) is barely real. The riffs both have this infectious groove to them. There’s a level of funkiness to the drums thanks to plenty of hi-hat and tasteful chops, not to mention the tendency for high pitched snares. The vocals might be the biggest difference, as a lot of hardcore strays away from anything spoken-word or outright rapped, but these guys are still yelling about similar topics: supporting their crew/gang, hating posers, perseverance, being tough, self-hatred, you know the whole shabang.

Now, I’m not saying Volcano are nu metal all of a sudden on NO WAY BACK. The elements are there, sure, but it still aligns itself with hardcore. First track “YODER” kicks things off with an upbeat feel before launching into a picture perfect two step, complete with gang vocals. Then, there’s a bit of lightning fast double pedal to remind you that lead creative force Cody Davidson moonlights as the drummer for death metallers Sanguisugabogg. There’s an extremely nu metal sounding end, as vocalist Jeremy Damron tones down the harsh vocals over effects-laden guitar melodies.

Second and final track “TIME AND DISTANCE” is where things get interesting. Add record scratches and the track sounds straight out of the late 90s, at least at first. The power chord riff and tasteful harmonics are guaranteed to get some baggy pants dirty. Next, we’ve got a sixteenth note hi-hat groove along with one of the band’s catchiest riffs yet. I can almost hear the audience clapping along already. Don’t worry, they soon bring back the mosh with a chuggy double pedal refrain that doesn’t let up until the track concludes.

Bottom line: Volcano tide fans over with this two track EP. They know what they’re good at and don’t want to stray too far, but there’s a surprising amount of development on display; of course, without compromising their proclivity for breakdowns. The line between nu metal and heavy hardcore might be fraying, but they’re all just words at the end of the day. Dance music is dance music.