Enemy Combatants - Ignorant Bliss

If you're a fan of Punkcore Records bands like, a Global Threat, or Clit 45; and enjoy the heavy breakdowns of hardcore bands like Backtrack, there's no reason not to love Enemy Combatants. Not unless, adding "fucking" to the middle of  word to ensure the proper amount of syllables will ruin a song for you.

Their Ignorant Bliss EP is straight punk. From the cover art that I can only assume is Rush Limbaugh slamming pain-killers and puffing a huge cigar, to the total run time of ten minutes and two seconds. Looking at the cover, I expected the tracks themselves to come off a lot more lo-fi. Enemy Combatants is a very DIY band, but you might not guess that from the recordings. The guitars are powerfully defined, the vocals are crispy, and the bass is present without sounding like a down-tuned guitar. The drums seem to have fallen prey to a lack of competent mics, however. The snare is kinda dull and low in the mix, but it still carries the band adequately. The most impressive thing is, I can't tell whether the guys practiced eight hours a day for a month prior, did a million takes, had amazing post production, or are just fucking machines. I couldn't find a single weak or misplaced note on the whole thing. I never got that cut-and-paste feeling that comes from heavy post production, either.

These four cuts give a telling cross section of what Enemy Combatants have to offer. From a typical street anthem about uniting and fighting back, to a low, metal-tinged intro on a song depicting the frustration that comes with a stagnant and abusive political system. The title track really stands out as an amalgam of hardcore and street. Tying together expertly delivered vocals, gang choruses, metallic hardcore breakdowns, and intricate guitar leads. The final track is a crowd pleasing sing-along. "Fuck You" isn't eloquent, it's repetitive, and it's everything that got me into punk in the first place. Telling the world that you refuse to conform, be led, or live within a superficial construct of what it means to be a person. Turning the anger that comes from constantly being forced into a position unfitting of a rat, into something positive. A joyful little ditty to get the kids up and moving.

If you're a lyric listener, and expect a certain level of articulate mastery in your verse/ chorus journey, you probably shouldn't bother. These messages weren't meant for you. The points made here are simple, but heartfelt. If you can look past choruses like, "The time is right, so u-fucking-nite," and "Fuck you, That's what we say. We don't need you. Hey! Hey!" or that happens to be what you're into, then the musicianship is really going to be worth your time.

4 out of 5