Band:	Judiciary
Album:	Surface Noise
Style:	Hardcore, Crossover thrash metal
Release date:	January 25, 2019
A review by:	RaduP

01. Social Crusade
02. Karma's Knife
03. Temple
04. Stronger Than Thou
05. Burden Of Truth
06. Pure Fury
07. 7.65mm
08. Zero Hour
09. War (Time Is Nigh)

The first time I listened to this album, I was lifting weights. The second time, I wished that I was. This is metal for getting in shape.

Judiciary is a hardcore band from Texas. Yee-haw. They play some tough-guy hardcore. Yee-ugh. This is their debut album, so I can't get into any length about what they did before and how they got here. What matters is that they're here. And they're angry. Very angry. And you'll be angry too. So get in the pit or get lifting.

Alright, I hyped this album a lot without getting into any of the specifics. Surface Noise is primarily metallic hardcore, but it lives at the border with a close relative, that being crossover thrash; thus a lot of the riffs do get into thrashier territories, but most of the time they stick to their guns and deliver some muscular hardcore riffs. That is when they're not in a breakdown, which they usually are, because there's a hell of a lot of those. At a point it might feel overdone and saturated, but with so much energy put into them, you can't help but feel each and every one of those.

This is clearly music that works live much better than in the studio. Not to downplay the album's music, but there's so much energy in these songs that just sitting down and listening to the music in your headphones feels like a waste. And even when you don't pay attention to the social issues that make Judiciary angry (and honestly, with the state of the USA, it's not surprising), you will get angry, and you will take the The Great Dictator sample to heart. There are a few interesting guitar sections and some moments where the vocals deviate from the usual shouts, but most of all, this is meat-and-potatoes. There is nothing original about Judiciary, but goddammit, do they absolutely beat the shit out of my ears.

I have absolutely nothing wise to say about this. I'm too angry. I'm gonna go scream at my TV and kick the trash can. Ugh.