Fucked Up: Year of the Dragon

Be sure to check out the cover art on this one—an epic work by Andrei Bouzikov depicting a dragon in full fire-breathing fury. Whatever anyone thinks of the music here, the cover art is strong and convincing.

As for Year of the Dragon, this is another 12-inch entry in the band's ongoing "Zodiac Series." I'm sorry to report that I haven't followed this series very carefully, something I need to correct quickly. Hardcore legends by now, the guys in this band have a huge catalogue of recordings both long and short that have pleased audiences and critics for a long time. They are also expected to release a full-length album later this year. As I listen to "Year of the Dragon," I can't help but think that this is a much-welcomed release from a band that keeps getting stronger, dare I say even more mature. I'm sure they already have legions of fans that have already listened to this song and have begun to rank it alongside the other zodiac-themed releases.

All I can say is that the band makes good use of their time on this eighteen minute track. Song lengths like that are uncommon among hardcore acts, especially those that prefer the short pop over the long jam. With "Year of the Dragon," though, the band roams through a variety of sonic spaces, offering listeners a mixture of soft and loud, angry and calm, bitter and sweet. I especially liked the chuggy guitar jam that starts up at about the thirteen minute mark.

The covers that round out this short release are plenty of fun: one song each by classic Canadian hardcore bands. I liked "I Wanna Be a Yank" better than "Disorder" but it's hard to choose between tracks like this. Fans of the original bands should enjoy these very much.

Ultimately, this is a strong new release, one that should please long-time fans and recruit new ones.

Track Listing:
1. Year of the Dragon
2. I Wanna Be a Yang (Cardboard Brains)
3. Disorder (The Ugly)

Added: May 1st 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2111
Language: english

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