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SSS - Problems To The Answer review



Reviewer:
8.9

12 users:
7.17
Band: SSS
Album: Problems To The Answer
Release date: July 2011


01. The Kill Floor
02. Out The Loop
03. Birdshit
04. Laughing Leads To Crying
05. White Bread
06. Eat Me Drink Me Burn Me
07. Foreign Body Plot
08. Roar
09. Sick Pleasures
10. Direct Action
11. What Would Cards Do?
12. Man Against Man
13. Tales Out of School
14. Rats Nest
15. Cathode Control
16. Painting By Numbers
17. Quick Fix
18. Future Primitive
19. Trapped Inside Two States of Mind
20. Politics Of Convenience
21. Here Comes The Neighbourhood
22. Deep Sleep
23. Speed Freaks
24. Dismantle The Dream
25. Strangenotes

SSS is a crossover group from the UK that, if you haven't heard yet, you should drop everything right the fuck now and listen to. With Problems To The Answer they've proved that they're not good, but that good. They're a drop everything band. Plain and simple.

Looking for spirited, diverse thrash riffs and grooves? Look no further. Looking for grindcore-length bursts of aggression? Look no the fuck further. Looking for hardcore punk attitudes? Look no further! It's all simple as that, really. Proceed to drizzle on some funniness and a fair amount of technical proficiency. Then wrap in a production clean enough to bring out every instrument crisply, but gooey enough to hold them all together, and you've got a recipe for crossover thrash that would make even that celebrity cook Meryl Streep played in that Meryl Streep movie from a year or so ago blush and curtsy? For what that's worth.

But crossover, right? Not the freshest stuff. Well, Problems To The Answer is anything but banal. SSS is in the business of surprising listeners. And they're good at it. With a few super-short tracks, and the sheer amount of, well, crossover between hardcore and thrash, the album never feels boring. And it never loses its momentum. It's relentless and fun. As fuck.

However, the most surprising track is the eight minute instrumental closer. It blends more than hardcore and thrash. It starts with a series of thrash riffs, eases its way into a semi-morose, semi-psychedelic bit, slows nearly to a stop before fighting back with the thrash. And it flows superbly. It's the sort of epic track that'll get your head banging, your fists pumping, give you the goose bumps, and surprise you. And it's a brilliant way to end the album.

The album does have a few problems, though. The drummer has mad skills, but gets a little high-hat crazy from time to time. Some of the shorter tracks seem a little gimmicky. Occasionally the riffing gets a bit too up its ass with hardcore, over thrash, which annoys me. But, all that said, none of this really takes away from my enjoyment of the album. Problems is constantly moving and shifting, making for a exciting experience regardless of its speed bumps.

All in all, if you like thrash, hardcore, or crossover, you need to listen to this.





Written on 04.08.2011 by Wormdrink's real name is George and he's an American.


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 218 users
04.08.2011 - 15:18
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
I need to listen to this. Hope they deserve the rating.
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Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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05.08.2011 - 02:21
wormdrink414

Written by K✞ulu on 04.08.2011 at 15:18

Hope they deserve the rating.

Oh-ho, they do.
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05.08.2011 - 02:36
Void Eater
Account deleted
Good sir, I give you my eternal gratitude for introducing me to these fellows. Thrash fucking metal done right.
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05.08.2011 - 02:57
Being and Time

This sounds like an incredibly interesting group. Thanks for the review.
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08.08.2011 - 00:12
Being and Time

I'd give this baby an 8. While I don't quite feel the crossover to the extent that some listeners are, I see thrashy riffs here and there. To me, it's mostly just hardcore, and it's done right for the most part. A few throwaway tracks (Welcome to the Neighbourhood and Strangenotes, specifically), so it could be tighter. Yeah, Strangenotes is not quite as creative as you envisioned it to be and I still didn't find it particularly epic, to be honest. But really, it's an incredible album that will likely go on my top 10 list.
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08.08.2011 - 03:30
wormdrink414

Written by Being and Time on 08.08.2011 at 00:12

A few throwaway tracks (Welcome to the Neighbourhood and Strangenotes, specifically), so it could be tighter. Yeah, Strangenotes is not quite as creative as you envisioned it to be and I still didn't find it particularly epic, to be honest.

The real throwaway in my eyes is the paragraph about that track. I do love it, though.
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08.08.2011 - 04:19
Being and Time

Written by wormdrink414 on 08.08.2011 at 03:30

Written by Being and Time on 08.08.2011 at 00:12

A few throwaway tracks (Welcome to the Neighbourhood and Strangenotes, specifically), so it could be tighter. Yeah, Strangenotes is not quite as creative as you envisioned it to be and I still didn't find it particularly epic, to be honest.

The real throwaway in my eyes is the paragraph about that track. I do love it, though.

I disagree. I thought your paragraph featuring that song was very effective and attractive to me, even if I didn't necessarily agree with it. I am indebted to you for introducing me to this group.
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03.02.2012 - 22:43
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
The fourth Pirates Of The Carrineam was the best one yet! >:[
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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03.02.2012 - 23:18
wormdrink414

Written by Boxcar Willy on 03.02.2012 at 22:43

The fourth Pirates Of The Carrineam was the best one yet! >:[

If by best you mean worst, I agree.
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03.02.2012 - 23:36
vezzy
Stallmanite
I thought this was pretty standard. Decent, but nothing exceptional.
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Licensed under the GPLv3.
Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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03.02.2012 - 23:54
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by wormdrink414 on 03.02.2012 at 23:18

Written by Boxcar Willy on 03.02.2012 at 22:43

The fourth Pirates Of The Carrineam was the best one yet! >:[

If by best you mean worst, I agree.

That is exactly what I meant.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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