Birds In Row – ‘Personal War’ Review
Posted: by Sean Gonzalez
First time I ever heard Birds In Row was when Stevie from The Chariot let me in on a secret that they would be doing a huge tour with them (which actually ended up being their farewell tour). You, Me & The Violence became one of my go to hardcore records for lashing out the dark and brooding inner emotions of mine. There’s something inconceivably raw about their sound, it’s almost hard to imagine there is anything being put into the mixing process at all. I have been anticipating what they would do next for a few years. Personal War is their newest release through Deathwish Inc., and it doesn’t let up.
After a rather unintelligible build in their opening track – rightfully called “Intro” – “Torches” immediately grabs the listener’s attention with blasting drums and powerful vocals. The guitars blend a mix of pure punk chords and bright melodies to add an extra weight to the emotional lyrics, shedding a conscience through virulent screams. Birds In Row have taken their old blueprint and built on top of what already was a solid foundation. They chose to make their newest release a flurry of aggressive songs that expel all the anguish, all the fears and all of their worries out of their hearts. Whether it be lead by the constant barrage of drums in “Weary” or the thunderous bass of “Worried,” the French band makes sure to rally together for the assault. When they have all of their gears working together they create a song that meanders about with a purpose, for example the furious closer “Marathon.”
Personal War is a quick record that shows the greatest attributes of a band that’s shoving, no, demolishing everything in their path. This record is a humanized beckoning for attention that will viciously spit frantic hardcore tracks at you. Birds In Row have never sounded this animalistic before, focusing on sounding unchained and at the same time oddly polished. It’s because they are playing extremely tight, building off each other and adding to their walls of bursting moments.
Score: 8.9/10
this is my favorite heavy release of the year.
