No Cure – It Is Going To Get Dark | Album Review
No Cure have never been interested in subtlety. Since emerging from Alabama's metallic hardcore underground, the band has built its reputation on blunt-force riffs, militant conviction and an uncompromising straight edge ethos. On It Is Going To Get Dark, they refine that formula into their most complete statement yet, delivering 12 tracks in just over half an hour that rarely let the pressure off the listener. Released through SharpTone Records, the album also boasts a stacked lineup of guests from Bayway NJ, Inclination, Varials, CELL and The Acacia Strain, underscoring No Cure's place in the current wave of heavy hardcore.
The record wastes no time establishing its intent. "When The Spasms Cease" erupts with chaotic urgency before giving way to "Oblivion Crusade," where frantic metallic hardcore crashes headlong into death metal precision. Across the album, No Cure blend dissonant guitar work, crushing breakdowns and relentless blast beats into songs that feel equally indebted to hardcore's DIY roots and modern extreme metal. Rather than leaning on nostalgia, the band pushes forward with a sound that's viciously contemporary.
The guest appearances are more than name recognition. Bayway NJ injects "Brain Matter Displacement" with undeniable swagger, while Inclination's appearance on "Ironclad" reinforces the record's hardcore pedigree. "Sharpen The Blade" benefits from the combined aggression of Varials and CELL, and The Acacia Strain's contribution to "Purity Spiral" feels like a natural collision between two bands that thrive on oppressive heaviness. These collaborations elevate the record without ever distracting from No Cure's identity.
What makes It Is Going To Get Dark stand apart is its balance between chaos and control. The production is massive without sacrificing clarity, allowing every down-tuned riff and punishing drum hit to land with maximum impact. Even at its most frantic, there's intention behind every transition, every breakdown and every sudden burst of speed. The result is an album that rewards repeated listens as much as it satisfies the primal urge to throw yourself into the nearest pit.
Hardcore has no shortage of bands chasing heavier sounds, but No Cure understand that brutality alone isn't enough. Their songs are memorable because they're written with conviction, not just volume. That attitude culminates in the tongue in cheek but undeniably anthemic "I Am Still Fucking Straight Edge" before the emotionally crushing closer, "Everything I Love Is Dead Or Dying," leaves the record on its bleakest note.
With It Is Going To Get Dark, No Cure don't simply raise the bar for metallic hardcore they reaffirm why the genre remains one of heavy music's most exciting creative spaces. Furious, focused and unapologetically hostile, this is an album that demands to be experienced at full volume.
Rating: 7/10
by
Michael Benesh