The Age Of Quarrel sounds less like a collection of songs than a survival code being shouted across New York City. The guitars have the weight of metal, but everything moves with the speed, economy and urgency of hardcore. “We Gotta Know” begins with that unforgettable slow march before the entire band charges forward, establishing the record’s mixture of discipline and barely contained violence. Songs such as “World Peace,” “Street Justice” and “Hard Times” are compact enough to strike before you can prepare yourself, while the longer tracks reveal something more searching beneath the aggression. There is anger here, but also spiritual hunger, self-reliance and an attempt to find order inside a hostile world. John Joseph’s voice sounds completely inhabited by every word, and the band plays with the conviction of people who believe music can become armor. Countless groups would later combine hardcore punk and metal, but few records make that collision feel this natural or necessary. Nearly four decades later, The Age Of Quarrel has lost none of its force. It still sounds like five people turning pressure, isolation and street-level reality into something permanent.
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