Passion

The Fierce Urgency of Now (Goodfellow)
by Scott Hefflon

It’s funny how many fine bands like this there are, and how only a dozen become the name bands people know, and all the rest open for each other on tours only diehards go to. Cuz this stuff ain’t easy to play, ya know? While the Darkest Hour riffs are a little simple (flutter-picked death always impresses me, cuz I can’t play the style for shit), the drummer is a freakin’ beast, tackling death and blast and rolling triplets and thrash gallop and everything else under the blackened sun.

This Philly band is called a hardcore band, but they know their metal so thoroughly, I wouldn’t mind calling them a metal band, and most metalcore bands I want to steer clear of, cuz they don’t know their shit. Perhaps Passion is considered hardcore because they tackle politics and social issues, whereas poser metal now emotes about break-ups and stuff. Stupid name or not, lots and lots of metalheads should hear this band, so try yet again to get Goodfellow to put bands on the comp.
(www.goodfellowrecords.com)