Formed way back in the late-'80s, I don't see Tampa, FL's Slap of Reality mentioned all that often. I've only brought 'em up on the site once before, but they're actually still kickin', and recently announced having signed to A Jam Records for a new full-length due out later this year. Having started out performing a highly melodic and emo-tinged form of hardcore/punk, their approach developed more and more toward a sound that's sort of a dead ringer for prime Samiam with a smidge more grit—a comparison that's still very much evident in each of their most recent singles.
"Never Far" debuted back in December (and got the video treatment earlier this month), while "A Part Of" hit Bandcamp three weeks ago. The more somber of the two, there's something about the surging chorus of this piece that just hits the spot for me—and not without roving basslines and hard-panned guitar textures aplenty, so there's still that undercurrent of semi-pop-punk meets post-hardcore happening. It seems safe to assume based on these two cuts that the forthcoming album will definitely be a keeper!
The band's two full-lengths from 1991 and 1996 are sorely underrated efforts packed with great tunes, too, so check 'em out. You can actually find both on Discogs for super reasonable prices...
