Review by Emma on September 18, 2010.

Netherlandish Hardcore act My City Burning has turned out an EP fans of hardcore will be pleased with. From track one it is an auditory assault of heavy hooks and second-person lyrical perspectives! Their music is labeled as a blend with thrash though I’d rather say there are thrash-elements, but not enough to really give the band’s style a dual element name. Hardcore listeners will find this addition of style something of interest; it added more interest for myself at least. Altogether this is a solid though altogether uninteresting and un-notable EP. Still, kids will pick this up and think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.

Tracks ‘The Catalyst’ and ‘Line In The Sand’ were the most memorable. The final of the six track EP ‘Black Hearts Unite’ wrapped up the show with an anthem for ‘the outcasts of the underground’ (Wha? Who? Where.. I don’t see any…) that we’ve all heard from other bands countless times before. Points deducted for complete unoriginality.

The cover art also struck me as completely unoriginal. The first thing I thought upon receiving the album was ‘Converge?’ Generally one would think it’s a bad idea to have your cover design look exactly like a better-known band’s already established album. I guess it could be used as a marketing tactic as well. Whatever the intention, it makes one look forward to the day that Photoshop collages of found prints are put to their fashionable rest.

If you like Hardcore, you’ll probably like what My City Burning has to offer. I imagine they’d be more interesting live than on CD. Live you can buy their merch and pose in it for Myspace, hardcore sluts it is your turn to shine!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 5
Production: 9
Originality: 3
Overall: 6.5

Rating: 6.4 out of 10