Throwdown: Intolerance review

Metal fans around the world rejoice. The bastard sons of Hatebreed and Pantera have returned in Throwdown, who just released their seventh studio album for eOne Music, entitled Intolerance and it is by far the most primal thing they have ever done. The album is so intensely focused that it is here and gone in just 28 minutes with only two songs clocking in at over three minutes and a mere two guitar solos. That minimalistic approach and mentality that less is more leaves no room for filler of any kind. Unlike recent releases that saw them taking a more mainstream metal approach, Intolerance is a throwback in sound to their more hardcore days and is more Haymaker and less Deathless, the latter of which had a Down or C.O.C. edge to it. The bludgeoning grooves of songs like “Fight or Die,” “Condemned To Live,” “Borrowed Time,” “Suffer And Conquer” and “Cut Away” are reminiscent of the Venom & Tears album and will drive fans of Far Beyond Driven-era Pantera into a frenzy. In fact, frontman Dave Peters sounds so much like Phil Anselmo at times, that it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and give you goose bumps. Tracks like “Avow,” “Defend with Violence” and “Intolerance” feature bellicose riffing that pays homage to Hatebreed and the NTC hardcore sound as a whole. At the same time, “Without Weakness” is more akin to the glory of Lamb Of God while “Hardened By Consequences” and “Born And Buried Alone” have the band exploring the Down and C.O.C. soundscapes on the Deathless  album. Intolerance is also brimming with lyrics of inner strength and self empowerment. With lines such as “Pain is not the enemy” in “Suffer & Conquer,” “I live my life without weakness and die without fear or regret” in “Without Weakness,” “Liberate me from my enemy, liberate me from myself” in “Condemned To Live” and “What the fuck has this world come to?” from “Fight Or Die.” Here’s the bottom line- if you like Pantera, Hatebreed, Down, C.O.C. or Lamb Of God then you simply must buy this album and give this all-too-overlooked band a try. Rating: 9/10 -Eric Hunker