Hundredth - When Will We Surrender - Review

In the midst of darkness, the brightest pinholes of light shine. On the subject of metal and hardcore music, the disposition has been highly demonized through the years that it has built up popularity. The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina based band, Hundredth, is doing their very best to tear down that darkened stereotype with their very own debut album, ‘When Will We Surrender’, in the capable hands of hardcore beast Mediaskare Records. The young fledgling group has put together a stellar new facet of melodic hardcore that soars on wings of passion and integrity. The uplifting message and musical professionalism of this album will undoubtedly hold Hundredth up as they chance the ears of hardcore fans everywhere.

And they don’t even dip their toes in once. They dive right in, drums blazing, vocals amped and barking. There is no introduction necessary for ‘Catalysts’. The violent tone is apparent first hand. The guitars sing sweet melodies and gut you with chugging hooks, while creative and guttural bass lines follow very thorough punk beats with distinctive tom fills throughout. Also very vocally driven, ‘Catalysts’ soon turns a mild breakdown mood into a yelling match between vocalist Chadwick Johnson and MyChildren MyBride front man, Matthew Hasting. At first, the music is pieced together very much like the dear and departed Life In Your Way, but soon carries similar styles to It Prevails and Means as well. It Prevails vocalist Ian Fike does contribute to this with his addition of clean vocals in ‘Willows’. (An appearance that is far too brief in my opinion).

Hundredth is unique in their own nuances. In ‘Betrayer’, creative use of two screaming vocalists (seconded by guitarist Alex Blackwell) is further developed and evokes scornful emotion. While not exclusive to the track, ‘Passion’ is a great example of the group’s seamless transitions from agile punk beats to driving gang vocal anthems, to melodic breaks to head-bobbing, tear-jerking, aim-your-face-at-this style breakdowns. Grudging and heavy as buckets, but chill and played to a tempo that’ll make your head bang slow enough to still appreciate the lyrics and vocals.

‘Caving’ moves into territory of crunchy guitars and morbidly crushing breakdowns that will throw your hair into windmill patterns whether your head is moving or not. Then ample build up should prepare you for ‘Desolate’, which is graced by vocals from Jonathan Vigil, of The Ghost Inside. They are only slightly different from Chadwick’s, but unlike TGI, the guitars are much more melodic and the passion of Hundredth has favoured intensity defying vocals over fast breakdowns in odd timings.

The serene interlude ‘Fade’ provides a few minutes to catch your breath and take in the surroundings that you may have forgotten about just I time to be run through by an especially melodic metalcore ‘Sinking’. Such a sorrowful sound, it was right to be called “a soundtrack to drowning.” Their approach to melody is appreciable for their attempt at unique places to tweedle their guitars and their commitment to finding beauty in low tones as well as high.

‘Rise’, another interlude, presents another chance to cool down, only slightly more musically involved than ‘Fade’ at first, but builds up to a beautiful vocal chorus with inspiring melodies. The silence is shattered however, by an unannounced scream and a fitting bass drop in ‘Brighter’. This is a short, but potent track to raise your hairs to. A fine post-metal tenderizing of your insides from ‘Sun’ sets up for fast and loud in the final track, ‘Shine’. One of the only solos of clean vocals slows down the middle, before the album finally culminates into an ethereal harmony of growls and swimming gang singing.

The music is already powerful, but when accompanied by reading of the lyrics, the affect that the band wished to achieve becomes overwhelming. The story told by this album is very plainly barked aloud in the opening track. “When will we surrender? When will we strive for what is good and not for what man has created?” That sums it up. They speak passionately of the hope found in God’s loving arms and throwing off the shackles of worldly desires. But they do so by encouraging, rather than ramming their beliefs down our throats. ‘Willows’ speaks of a world that abandons us, but then encourages with “when everyone lets me down, I will stand strong alone.” ‘Caving’ is similarly themed. “The world is caving in on me”, but “Your hands hold my days. My trust will remain in Everlasting.”

In ‘Desolate’, the lyrics talk about how the struggles in the world cause a deficiency of hope in man. It runs to a desperate plea to God, “do you still see me as beautiful?” ‘Sinking’ and ‘Greater’ express how hard it is to live a righteous life “blinded by the plank in my eye.” In relation, ‘Sun’ and ‘Shine’ tell the crushing defeat of men by pride. However, each song goes on to encourage the hope that God provides. “There is no greater love”; “I bask in my saving grace”; “Let us shine. We will shine.”

As an extremely uplifting album, the mournful sound throughout is surprisingly effective, and even appropriate for the mood and intentions desired by the band. Great emotion summons tears, whether they’re happy or otherwise. Hundredth can claim their own patch of the melodic hardcore pasture, but they will fit in well with other contenders as well. The sluggish violence with which they pursue their sound breathes fresh yet familiar air. Fans loyal to The Ghost Inside, It Prevails, and Life In Your Way should welcome Hundredth with open, sweaty arms. And with no particular grievances of note, I give ‘When Will We Surrender’ 4 out of 5 Napkins.

Artist: Hundredth
Album: When Will We Surrender
Release: March 30, 2010
Label: Mediaskare Records
Length: 42:45
Rating: 4/5