Stray From The Path – Subliminal Criminals

Subliminal criminal’s of the world, Long Island political hardcore lifers Stray From The Path are calling you out and true to their legacy, their discontent is anything but subliminal.

An abrasive call to arms, Subliminal Criminals sees Stray From The Path pick up where they left off with 2013’s combustible Anonymous, turning the rage and intensity up to eleven for a politically-charged, ‘no-holds-barred’ assault on all who they consider to be the real villains of the modern world.

From unethical capitalists to corrupt police, politicians to disingenuous keyboard warriors to the NSA and beyond, no one is safe from Stray From The Path’s sights, as vocalist Drew York spits fire with trademark rapid delivery over a crushing sonic backdrop designed to incite pits (and potentially riots) worldwide.

Guitarist Tom Williams manipulates his axe in a Morello-eque manner, melding his experimental sound with the mosh ready rhythms and throwdown inducing grooves of Anthony Altamura (bass) and Dan Bourke (drums) creating an aura of restlessness and unbridled anger conjures images of a world ready to explode.

The emergency siren mimicking riff of The New Gods sets an urgent tone, as Drew York takes aim at unethical capitalists (“Your profit, my coffin / our sacrifice for the new gods”) over a visceral soundscape, while chug-heavy Outbreak affirms the band’s revolutionary intentions via a two-step inviting crunch before the anti-police brutality anthem Badge and a Bullet Pt II sees the band reach boiling point (“Trained to never trust us / so where the fuck is the justice”), via RATM influenced breakdown that will activate pits and minds for years to come.

Stray From The Path are not alone in their discontent and collaborations with like-minded artists Sam Carter from Architects, Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari and hip-hopper Cody. B Ware add to the powerful message of Subliminal Criminals, with all three turning in inspired performances that gift the record some further sonic diversity.

Carter’s turn on the #blessed generation challenging First World Problem Child is fire emoji worthy, while Reynold’s verse on censorship anthem Eavesdropper, and Cody. B Ware’s emotionally charged flow on Future of Sound are similarly enthralling contributions that prevent Subliminal Criminals relentless assault from becoming monotonous.

As with previous recent releases from the band Subliminal Criminals wears both its hardcore and RATM influences on its sleeve, but on the whole the record doesn’t sound like a retread of either sound, being too heavy to be branded a RATM knockoff and too varied to be dismissed as generic hardcore. Instead Subliminal Criminals sounds like the loudest, most progressive and antagonistic record Stray From The Path have produced.

Eight albums in, the revolution is upon us, and its impact will be far from subliminal.

‘Subliminal Criminals’ is out August 14 via UNFD, you can bag a pre-order here.

Watch: Stray From The Path – Outbreak

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