The Bridge Nine label certainly has a thing for bands that equally favor hardcore, punk, and emo styles -- case in point, the 2009 release by
Ruiner,
Hell Is Empty. This Baltimore-based band has been slogging it out since 2004, and as evidenced by
Hell, is continuing to bulldoze ahead with the aforementioned style (also managing to add a bit of vintage
Helmet-like metal into the proceedings, as well). Admittedly, however, this style has been championed by countless bands at this point -- hollered vocals, guitars bits that alternate between melodic and raging, smash n' bash drumming, etc. The "
Ruiner sonic recipe," is best sampled on such tracks as the album opener "I'm Out" and "Two Words," but on tracks such as "Part One" and "Convenient Gods," the lads lay down some stripped-down string plucking on their bass and/or guitar -- which brings to mind
Tool. If you haven't figured it out yet, "post-hardcore" is the name of the game here, folks. ~ Greg Prato