The best hardcore will move you. And I don’t just mean in the sense that a really beautiful piece of music will move you, but in the sense that you should not be able to sit still while listening to it. And for the duration of their career, this is exactly what Weekend Nachos have specialized in. They mix absolutely hateful hardcore with influences from grindcore, sludge, and even a bit of black metal spice on top. The result is a complete package of hardcore that always keeps you interested, surprised, and moshing like a motherfucker.
Weekend Nachos are still near the top of the pile when it comes to making hardcore with a faceripping sense of aggression, but they also tend to couple this with influence from not just the aggressive elements of hardcore and hardcore-ish music. Still brings us back to even the early days of proto-punk, with a rhythmic piano pounding on the title track that recalls the very best of the Stooges. Make no mistake, though, it’s still as violent and hateful as ever with a well-developed sense of composition. The band switches between faster d-beat sections and slower sludgy breakdowns at the drop of a hat, ensuring that you’ll always stay invested and interested, although the over-reliance on breakdowns does get tiresome after a while. It’s not up to the same level as the chugga-chugga-chug predictability of low-grade metalcore and deathcore, but the breakdowns do tend to happen a lot, and that does tend to detract from the final product as a whole.
The thing that grabbed me most about this release, which is something I never thought I’d say about a hardcore record in this day and age, is the words that go along with the songs – even if you can’t understand them, the lyric sheet is still worth a read. Still keeps up with the fine tradition of Weekend Nachos’ discography by adding some surprisingly intelligent lyrics to the already surprisingly intelligent music. Consider how “Watch You Suffer” isn’t a spiteful snarl of revenge like you’d expect from a similar-sounding band like Nails, but rather something out of a pre-rehab intervention: “I can’t sit back and watch you suffer./I need to step in, can’t lose another.” And while punk and hardcore has always been at odds with law enforcement, “S.C.A.B.” reminds the needlessly confrontational teenager within us that not all cops are bastards: “Do you know what you’re fighting for?/Or are you just fucking bored?” It’s ironic indeed that hardcore lyrics can only be controversial in this day and age by preaching restraint as opposed to unbridled destructive impulse.
All things considered, this is a Weekend Nachos album, and that’s one of the best compliments I can give it. If you’re into the aggressive and spiteful direction that modern hardcore music has taken, but you’re looking for lyrics more developed than your typical “CRUSH KILL DESTROY” fare, then you’re going to find everything you’re looking for with Still. It’ll get you moshing from straight out the gate, and it’ll keep you entertained with some really clever witticisms to boot. Highly recommended for fans of hardcore and d-beat, and even more highly recommended for those unfortunate souls who still think that metalcore and deathcore are worth listening to. There is still hope for you all. Accept Weekend Nachos as your Lord and Savior, and all shall be forgiven.