Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Passion - The Fierce Urgency of Now - 2006 - Goodfellow Records

Track Listing:1. One Way Ticket 2. Dig in Deep 3. The Natural 4. In Ourselves We Trust 5. Statistics Show That We Do Not Care 6. Patriot For A Day 7. Longer Than Expected 8. Me 9. In One Ear and Out the Other 10. Depression Sets In 11. Bulletproof Mona Lisa 12. Get in the Van

Of the self-acknowledged hardcore labels in the underground scene, Goodfellow Records is one of the most respectable. Although still fairly fresh, it has grown quickly over the past years and amassed a diverse roster of respectable and hard-working artists. One of their newest singings is Passion, the aptly-named hardcore group of Philadelphia, who here release their debut LP, ‘The Fierce Urgency of Now’.

From the album’s outset, it’s clear that Passion can deliver on their big talk. Between their band name, album title, and unflinching political lyrics, their music needed to be forceful and immediate. And that it is—an aggressive, thick brand of hardcore that (allegedly) draws inspiration from acts as diverse as NOFX, Dream Theater, and Kanye West. In truth, though, the latter two acts don’t show up much, as most of this album is made up of tried and true power chord progressions, splashing percussion, and plenty of heart.

Kenny’s vocals are prominent in the mix and strong, but he’s unfortunately a little overused and begins to wear towards the end of the album. If Passion were to cut down on his vocals some and step up their instrumental breaks, they would be better off for it. This album does feature some engaging passages that give the instruments a little more room to breathe and doesn’t lock into the direct riffing patterns that plague the verses.

One might say that hardcore isn’t really a realm where one should expect much deviation from the standard form, but if a group is going to cite Dream Theater as an influence they had best be prepared to show it. Besides, with these activist lyrics, Passion should be champing at the bit for change. Altogether, ‘The Fierce Urgency of Now’ is indeed a passionate and lively release, but this band has yet to live up to the standard one would expect from Goodfellow.


Rating: 2



--Etiam