Are they metal or are they hardcore? That's a question that many fans of both genres of rock music find themselves asking more and more often during the early 21st century. Case in point, the 2007 debut full-length by
Ruiner,
Prepare to Be Let Down. It should come as no surprise that the
Ruiner gentlemen list such acts as
Minor Threat and
Converge as their prime influences, but somewhere along the line, they must have come in close contact with heavy metal, 'cause there's an unmistakable metallic crunch throughout. As with most hardcore acts, the song titles are entertaining in their own right, and it's certainly the case here -- "Bottom Line: Fuck You" and "Kiss That Motherfucker Good Night" won't be confused with
Neil Diamond ditties any time soon. And there's an additional tie-in with most other hardcore acts -- there's not a whole lot of variation included here, just non-stop aggression, stomping, and hollering. But that's the way most chaps sporting crew cuts and tattoos like it when they're beating on each other in the moshpit. ~ Greg Prato