‘Pursuance’, the third album from melodic hardcore supergroup Only Crime, finds the band regrouping after a seven year absence and with a new home, having shifted from Fat Wreck to Rise Records, who continue to add a punk spine to their existing metalcore roster.
Fronted by Russ Rankin, of Good Riddance, Only Crime also count Descendents’ Bill Stevenson, Bane’s Aaron Dalbec and Matt Hoffman of Modern Life Is War among their number, with ‘Pursuance’ following up two strong statements in ‘To The Nines’ and ‘Virulence’.
With the band’s songwriting ambitions having been shelved in recent years, while Stevenson recovered from surgery to remove a benign brain tumour, ‘Pursuance’ duly has an air of release about it.
It’s right up there with their most accessible work, with Rankin in particular delivering sharp melodies that immediately dial in memories of his former band’s ability to meld political points with fist-in-the-air singalongs.
Some of the more angular hardcore moments are equally effective, with Hoffman and Dalbec’s guitars riding staccato rhythms from Stevenson, who was, after all, present for all this the first time around.
Only Crime’s music has gravitas to it that’s as much about shared experience with their past successes as it is with how good they are in 2014, but, luckily, they really are still pretty good in 2014. ‘Pursuance’ works well as a companion to the band's previous work, with just a little more polish provided.
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