SINGLE REVIEW: Volition – “Allegiance” [2014]

Artist: Volition

“Allegiance” – Single

Everyone believes in something—whether it be a higher power, a governing body or even yourself, it’s essential to have loyalty and fidelity in something. The old saying goes “a man without loyalty is a man without purpose”—so what does Illinois’ insidious and aggressive hardcore band Volition draw their purpose from? The answer is simple: making insanely bitter and belligerently heavy hardcore with a strong message and a catchy beat. With their latest single, “Allegiance,” Volition let loose on the listener with over five minutes of unbound anger and cut-throat catchiness that delivers a personal—yet political—message without sacrificing the band’s penchant for punishing heaviness and bouncy groove.

“Allegiance” starts strong a refuses to slow down. Beginning with an ominous, percussion-led and bouncy introduction and rapidly devolving into chug-laden aggressiveness and straightforward brutality, Volition are the very sound of violence in all its varied forms. “Allegiance” begins with a crushing lesson in down-tempo heaviness, using beefy kick drum hits and sharp snare cracks to tear apart the listener’s spine. However, as the track progresses, vocals begin to take precedence over the hyper-heavy instrumentation, preaching lyrics of personal betrayal and political distrust. By the time “Allegiance” has reached it’s climactic breakdown, the band have veered away from a simplistic go-for-the-throat down-tempo approach in favor of immense nu-metallic influence to create a juggernaut that is fierce both vocally and instrumentally, combining shrill screams and jarring harmonics to pull the listener’s mind into pieces. “Allegiance” is the sound of a band truly forming their own dynamic—landing somewhere between a King Conquer with sharper teeth and Death of an Era if they dropped their gloves and started fighting dirty. Volition are violent, intense—and most dangerously—are loyal to nothing but aggressive, heavy music.

For Fans Of: King Conquer, Barrier, Death of an Era, Victims

By: Connor WElsh