Ithaca - The Language of Injury

Artist: Ithaca
Album: The Language of Injury
Year: 2019
Rating: 84/100

Holy Roar Records have been on something of a creative roll of late. They know a good band when they hear one, and that testament can be provided by them giving bands such as Boss Keloid, Conjurer and Employed to Serve (and that's just the tip of the iceberg) a home for their music, and now they can add metallic hardcore quintet Ithaca to that list. The Language of Injury is their first full length album, and as far as debut records go, it's a strong one.

"New Covenant" sets the tone tidily as the album's opener, with powerful, hard hitting drums clattering away against a backdrop of wonderfully discordant guitars and the feral roar of vocalist Djamila. However, it is the excellent "Impulse Crush" (for which the band made a video), "Gilt", "Secretspace", the title track and "Youth vs Wisdom" where it feels like Ithaca really come into their own. The discordant guitars are at the forefront again, and they're a treat. Djamila's roar is backed up in some cases by a soothing clean vocal, that on occasion feels like it's a bit too far back in the mix to really shine through. Similarly, the drums, while good, feel like they're a bit too far forward and almost overpower everything else. These are just minor points, however, and take nothing away from the overall quality of the album.

Ithaca have crafted a minor unorthodox gem with The Language of Injury. It remains to be seen where they will go from here, but with a little bit of time and development they'll be one of the best metallic hardcore bands UK shores will have seen for a while. Keep an eye out for them.

Track listing

1. New Covenant
2. Impulse Crush
3. Secretspace
4. Slow Negative Order
5. (No Translation)
6. The Language of Injury
7. CLSR
8. Youth vs. Wisdom
9. Gilt
10. Better Abuse