The very first release from Harm's Way Records is the debut full-length outing from Finland's Cold Inside, who I had heard good things about based on their "Ends, Starts, and Broken Hearts" 7", though I never got around to picking up that EP. Apparently that was a big mistake, because these 10 tracks in 23 minutes offer the perfect combination of Cleveland and New York hardcore via a more contemporary filter comparable to top-notch bands like Bitter End. Expect sparse Integrity-esque lead bursts alongside driving Clevo power chords and tactfully chugging midpaced grooves, and even some unexpected excursions into a gruff singing style reminiscent of Sheer Terror's later days!? So it's definitely not a one-sided effort, and they actually branch out further in other areas, such as the two instrumental pieces that open and close the album with somber clean/acoustic passages, and the especially interesting "It's Okay, Babe, I'm Only Dying", which explores a hint more dark melody and dissonance in its riffing. The only such experiment I could definitely do without is "Hardship Blues (Between Two Miseries)", the acoustic "blues" interlude that kicks off the second half of the album, because to be honest with you the delivery, while decent, just doesn't match the quality of the rest of the album, and such a divergence from the band's core approach doesn't really make a ton of sense. No big deal, though, because everything else herein is very solid, right down to the recording, so I'm definitely on board with the big picture. Absolutely.
Cold Inside "Tragedies in Minutes"
The LP includes a digital download coupon for mp3's of the tracks, which is always the way to go in my mind. It wouldn't be a bad idea for the label to also consider selling the album as a standalone digital download at a cheaper rate, but either way this is a great set of tunes that will certainly have me looking forward to future efforts from Cold Inside.
