Search - First Blood :: Killafornia

First Blood brings the mosh

Mylifeyourmovie | New Orleans, LA | 05/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record has redone versions of most of the songs from the EP/demo (2003) and the split, plus more.

I'll be honest, when I saw this band signed with Trustkill, I wrote them off immediately- it makes me stoked to say they haven't changed a bit. I loved the demo, and they definitely made progress with this album- the songs they wrote in 2003 are arguably more relevant now than ever, all things considered. These new versions are just as tight, if not a bit cleaner, production-wise...and oh yeah, the new tracks are dope.

Good lyrical message. Straightforward approach.

It doesn't get any better than this.







Don't sleep on this one.

I'm serious."

Even more generic than loud

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 10/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Since I practically live for heavy music, I naturally gravitated towards California's hardcore quintet First Blood, and their new 2006 disc, "Killafornia" (a debut for Trustkill). In all honesty, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece, but I really was expecting something a little better than what it turned out to be. Obviously, the songs are brutal enough to be satisfying up to a point because they unleash incessant waves of livid, bellowed vocals, bullying rhythms, abrasive (often grinding) riffs, smashing drums, skull cracking breakdowns and gang shouted choruses, but something is still left to be desired. It appears First Blood didn't even try to sound at all imaginative or bring anything remotely innovative to the table here. You could spend hours describing "Killafornia"'s sound, and you still wouldn't be able to point out a single characteristic that's unique to any other hardcore band releasing music this year. Granted, there is something to be said for the band's unwavering energy, rock hard muscle and brute force, because some of these tracks are as intense as you'll ever hear. "Next Time I See You, You're Dead" is a booming set opener; amp-destroying cuts like the title track and "Victim" pack a great visceral impact and are filled with scorching, blazing riffs and walloping drums; and "Suffocate," "Tides," and "Regimen" pound and crush the listener into submission with machine gun riffs. Still, only the most diehard fans will listen to this record in its entirety without becoming quite bored. (Note to First Blood: being very loud is not always inherent of being very interesting.) Come on, you have to admit you've heard this album so many times before (only with a different band's name attached to it) that you're beginning to lose count. In the end, "Killafornia" will satiate most fans of this genre who just can't stop pumping their hands and banging their bloodied heads against a brick wall. Unfortunately, when compared to the likes of Terror, The Acacia Strain, Remembering Never, Bury Your Dead, Hatebreed, and Icepick (which are all hardcore bands that have recently released new music of higher caliber), everybody else will soon learn that this album wears thin and loses its novelty too quickly to be exceptional, remarkable, or memorable."