The Art of Drowning

You want music that is loud, fast, and heavy? The Art of Drowning delivers on all three fronts. Songs like "Ever and a Day" and "The Days of the Phoenix" sound like a crunchy, no-nonsense cross between the joyful minimalism of the Vandals and heavier hardcore outfits such as Sick of It All and the Cro-Mags. Davey Havok's vocals are impassioned, focused, and undeniably sincere. Newest members Hunter (The Force) and Jade Puget (ex-Redemption 87), meanwhile, contribute to the album's dark intensity. The Art of Drowning is harder than Black Sails in the Sunset (1999), and all the better for it. --Jerry Thackray