Cause For Alarm

Split with  Warzone (Victory)
by Joshua Brown

Cause For Alarm are the NYC hardcore band that only released one 7″ before members went on to form Agnostic Front. That was a while ago. The name has been resurrected recently in an attempt to hearken back to the glory days, when their scene was still young. If people want to accuse them of jumping on the bandwagon of old groups reforming when they found out punk was cool again, they’re probably right. Thing is, it doesn’t matter. The new stuff is better. Cause For Alarm use the solid HC foundation they built way back when, and add power and scope to the same sound without messing with the simple structure. Formulaic to the max, just like the good ol’ days.

The Warzone half of the CD sounds like the first Warzone album from a decade or so ago. They start off by shouting the words “Bullshit Authority” four times, drums and guitars chanting right along with them. You immediately know that you’re in for a close encounter of the old-school kind. Who else could write a song called “Skinhead Girl Warrior” and keep a straight face while performing it? Part of the charm of the older scene was that the kids could be so naive and yet play music with such heartfelt conviction and drive. Warzone tried losing their innocence and becoming a bad metal band, but it was a failed attempt and now they’re back where they started. It’s too bad for them that they haven’t been able to mature, but it’s O.K. for us, ’cause the music’s still good.Warzone