Description
An alternative metal band strongly influenced by hardcore punk, Subzero was formed in New York City in 1989 by former members of Breakdown and Upfront. Century Media re-released the band’s debut album, Happiness Without Peace, in 1997. Subzero then hooked up with Stillborn Records for 2004’s Necropolis: City of the Damned and their third and final album the 2005’s The Suffering of Man. This final album shows a much respected NYHC band from the nineties in their final stages of transforming into a metal band. What reasons, many may think, would Lu and Richie Breakdown have for reinventing their once-unique hardcore sound? In the late nineties, Subzero frontman and part-time Skarhead warrior Lu DiBella was stricken with an extremely-aggressive form of leukemia that nearly took him from his family, friends, and the New York hardcore scene he helped build. Anyone whose musical tastes in the early-to-mid nineties leaned towards the punchy, political, and often-metallic brand of hardcore that characterized authentic NYHC in its final era of massive popularity, will remember the sheer unforgettable and untouchable qualities of Subzero’s debut full length, Happiness Without Peace. Even though the most well-known and superior version is the Century Media re-master reissued in 1997, after having been initially botched like many other albums by the notorious Too Damn Hype Records, neither version was truly marketed that seriously. But therein lies the quandary that has plagued labels from indie to major, from the eighties to the new millennium, and the hardcore bands signed to them, hoping to consistently grow an international fanbase. The problem being, how do you market a NYHC band to people outside of the scene? By continuing to write and solely perform the classic hardcore sound? Unlikely, because only a handful of bands, including Sick Of It All, have only marginally succeeded in remaining active this way, while most others died. The Suffering Of Man, is probably a realization of this, because the music they have written for it is easily their darkest and hardest yet, but without compromising their trademark fast upbeat tempos. Suffice it to say, the old school hardcore elements that abounded on Happiness Without Peace such as familiar rock-guitar tones, catchy punk elements, and an eighties hardcore feel have all been more or less removed on The Suffering Of Man. And with the exception of standout opener The Underground, Man’s Son, Swingin’ From The Noose and Dirty Needles (re-recorded from their 2003 Necropolis EP) that follow their old familiar patterns to a good degree, the lower tuning, greater prominence of low-end, and Lu’s thickest screams put to tape yet, all contribute to morphing these would-be hardcore anthems into sturdy metal songs. On these and especially the full-on guitar attack of Forced To Bleed, The Suffering Of Man and Suicidal Crucifixion comparisons to Celtic Frost, Bolt Thrower, and early C.O.C. would not be unfounded. Like the many musicians in NYHC who possessed skills that remained under-appreciated due to the underground nature of the scene they chose to express their ideas in, Subzero are finally seeking redemption from a fate of obscurity, and have followed a seemingly natural path of becoming metal to accomplish this goal. Lion Hearted, which has become the anthem for Lu and Subzero’s resurgence, also describes those to whom this album will appeal: old souls who were there back in the day, or who wish they still were. Newer, elitist brats unrecognizing of early hardcore or metal bands’ influence and eternal potency will fail to understand The Suffering Of Man’s merits.
Track list:
1. Underground
2. Suffer Squeal Burn
3. Mans Son
4. Swingin From The Noose
5. Suicidal Crucifiction
6. Dirty Needles
7. The Funeral
8. Lion Hearted
9. To Your Grave
10. Forced To Bleed
11. The Suffering Of Man