Album Review: Lock & Key – Peaceless

Since their formation in 2013, Lock & Key have been captivating hardcore fans with their aggressive and unapologetic sound. They came out swinging with their heavy hitting debut EP, The Divide in 2014 which combined both melody and aggression in a way that is oft found in the hardcore genre. This release quickly garnered a loyal following and a fan-base eager for more. That more is now upon us with the bands much anticipated debut album, Peaceless, out next Friday. Does the album live up to the expectations the band have set for themselves or were they one hit wonders with their EP?

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Genre: Hardcore
Label: Crooked Noise Records
Release: April 08, 2016
Connect: Facebook | Twitter
Purchase: iTunes | Google Play
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At the forefront, Peaceless is a staple of the hardcore genre featuring aggressive and fast paced riffs, gang vocals, pit inducing breakdowns and heavy, harsh vocals from frontman Rich Lardner. Lock & Key stray away from utilizing clean vocals for the majority of the record to stick well within the realms of hardcore. If you’re looking for melody, it still exists and is showcased through a variety of riffs that really carry the band musically. Even if you aren’t a fan of heavier music, instrumentally the album meshes breakdowns and melody really well with this being showcased extremely well on “Burning Bridges”.

Lock & Key – Unclear State of Mind (Official Video)

Official video for ‘Unclear State of Mind’ taken from our forthcoming album ‘Peaceless’ which will be release on April 8th via Crooked Noise Records. Pre-Orders available from http://lockandkeyhc.com/ Lyrics: Unclear state of mind. Over and over every single time. Everyday struggle to find peace of mind. Trapped fight for scraps, survive the aftermath.

One of the albums biggest detractors is in its inability to stand out among its peers of the genre. This fact alone doesn’t make it a bad record by any means, but it doesn’t do anything to deviate from the typical hardcore formula. Due to this, some of the songs start to blend together — which makes the album very same sounding and doesn’t fully allow each song to breathe on its own. There are some standout songs, which includes “No Justice” and “Unclear State of Mind.” Both songs are the most melodic songs on the record while still retaining their usual aggression and heavy sound. “No Justice” also features Create to Inspire vocalist Sean Midson whose singing compliments the aggressive nature of the album nicely.

Overall, Peaceless is sure to be a hit among hardcore fans, but if you aren’t a fan of the genre, it is unlikely this album will do anything to change that. It’s an action packed album that will pummel you with heavy hitting music and lyrics, but ultimately ends up falling short due to a monotonous tone and sound. If the band threw in some more variation and started to stray into other stl Nonetheless, Lock & Key have crafted a solid debut that should please both new and old fans alike while retaining the signature style that garnered them a loyal following in the first place.