Heroshima’s Debut Full Length Album – Through Hell and High Water

Through Hell and High Water is the first album I’ve heard in a long time that made me remember that “metal-core” didn’t used to be a bad word. It used to refer to bands like Unbroken, Converge, and even Pg 99, bands that pierced the barrier between heavy metal (and its marriage to hooks and melody) and joined it to the anger and dissonance of punk rock. The kids might be obsessed with tight jeans and neon colors, and might care more about their Facebook profiles than the only place in town where they can see shows, but there will always be bands who see far beyond that. One listener remarked: “I thought we were still listening to Coalesce covering Led Zeppelin.” These guys remind you that while hard-core may be a genre unto itself, it still manages to tip its hat to the blues-tinged hard rock of the last 40 years.