Some Kind Of Hate Some Kind Of Hate

If anything can be said about Some Kind of Hate’s self-titled EP, it’s that it’s one hell of an album. If something can be said about Some Kind of Hate as a band, it’s that these guys have one of the most pervasive affinities for Boston I have ever seen. The city’s “emblem” is prominently displayed on the cover as well as on the back. Additionally, a silhouette of Massachusetts is featured on the inside of the CD tray, and the phrase “Boston is mine…it owes me a living” is printed on the sides of the tray. And wouldn’t you know it, they’re actually from Boston as well. Joviality aside, though, Some Kind of Hate know how hardcore should be played, and to be blunt, they don’t fuck around when it comes to creating music. The lyrics are straight-forward and abrasive, not to mention pretty funny, and their sound is somewhat of a mix between Madball and Death by Stereo, albeit faster than the former and more guttural than the latter. “Old Habits Die Hard” starts off this 7 minute EP (and speaking of short CD’s, like Panic’s last EP and Give Up the Ghost’s “The Sun Isn’t Getting Any Brighter,” half of the CD is an opaque blue plastic while the other is reserved for the music itself) in a rollercoaster fashion - beginning fast, going slower, picking up again, and ending slow. “No One’s Perfect” is the album’s best effort, railing against those who think they’re a cut above everyone else. Incidentally, the song also contains one of the best lines I’ve ever heard: “Hang my head in shame ‘cause of people like you / Give you an inch and like a little bitch, you take a fucking mile.” “Face Down and Fucked” is another self-empowering anthem about casting off people that just bring you down, while “Them Was Rotten Days” has more of a punk sound to it, with plenty of back-up vocals done in the “whoa” fashion, and even some cowbell courtesy of the drummer. “Your Days Are Numbered,” the most bitter (and abrupt) track, closes the album in a decent manner, leaving you fulfilled but wanting more. Bottom Line: Some Kind of Hate is hardcore, plain and simple. In all honesty, these guys could probably be on Hellcat or Epitaph if it weren’t for all the swearing, though these Boston kids would probably resent being on label that big. Regardless, the moral of the story is that this album is great. It’s fast, has a nice punk edge to it, and is gritty as hell. More importantly, though, it’s 100% Boston. I really don’t have any major complaints with this EP, since it’s clean and well produced, but it is a bit too short. Considering that the 7” version has been floating around quite awhile, I imagine that some new material has to be coming out soon, and as long as they stick to the formula present on this record, it should be just as good if not better than this EP.