Where were you the first time you heard an actual hardcore band? I am not talking about these new school hardcore bands with no guts or soul, but a real hardcore band – Bad Brains, Black Flag, Pantera, Fasedown, or Minor Threat. If you were anything like me growing up in small town America hunting, fishing, and getting into fist fights this music somehow evolved into a soundtrak to life. Violent, emotional, raw, and rebellious it strikes a chord in you and seems to never let up no matter how “mature” we may become. But isn’t that the beauty of it all? The lasting impression. The memory. The first time you heard that song…
Tiger Flowers brings all that back to the forefront of my mind and heart. Even though it is not 1990 anymore, I can still feel it and it feels good. Tiger Flowers can bring us old rockers back to sweet moments of nostalgia and offer the kids an ass kicking good time in the circle pit. And that is enough for me.
In your face like a brass knuckled fist delivered from a pissed off gorilla! This may be the nutshell description for New York’s emerging underground band Tiger Flower’s newest Dead Hymns. From the first heavy dirty riffs on track one, you know you are in for a thrashfest of hardcore fun. “This is forever…I am forever” are the standout lyrics that lead vocalist Jesse James Madre screams out on “Batesian Mimicry.” Howling shreds and raw unfiltered bass and pounding drums; an awesome opener, full of diversity and a bridge with enough raw emotion to pull you in tight.
.
Dead Hymns next track “Century Blues” barges right in the saloon doors looking for a fight! Ragey, heavy and honest – “I need something real” – and full of fast punk infused riffing; all the way down to the breakdown which slows enough to let the listener soak in these transparent lyrics. A simple yet fulfilling jam. “Suicide Giants” opening riff is haunting and slow, but quickly the full band kicks in and a more somber song, perhaps about tragedy, will take you for an emotionally heavy ride. Tiger Flowers’ true heart really comes through in the music and the lyrics on this one. “Cruisin’ ‘Til The Wheels Fall Off” has a very tight delivery in it’s 59 seconds of glory, and if you want a shockingly awesome visual of what this band is all about then watch their music video for this song!
“The Road” reminds me of 90’s indie rock at the onset and continues with that vibe in the first half of the track. When the clean vocals come sweeping in it is a welcome change in this hardcore barrage. They evolve into sing-scream, and the relentless double bass at the end helps pick up the emotion and the heaviness to end this one well. “Patient Patient” and “Midnightmares” are both good and diverse enough to round out the 9 track album. The last song on Dead Hymns “Riders” and after plenty of heaviness the opening riff is slow and still…then it explodes as Tiger Flowers pack all of their talent in “No ones getting out aliiiiive!” A disturbingly appropriate ending to this exciting rager of a hardcore album. Old school influences meets raw young energy matched with that New York ‘get outta my way’ attitude and we got ourselves a pit-worthy set of jams!
Tiger Flowers are definitely reminiscent of Pantera and it serves them well as they have found their own sound in an endless sea of cookie cutter copy cats and talentless acts trying to get ahead. Tiger Flowers will plow forward quickly if they continue to release songs with power like the tracks on Dead Hymns.
Rating: 4/5