Album Review: Eternal Struggle - Year of the Gun
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
Hailing from the streets of Tel-Aviv is likely to give you something of a unique perspective on life as, being surrounded by the tribulations of such a setting is bound to have some affect on your world view. Yet Eternal Struggle have emerged from that environment, flying the Hardcore mantra of PMA proudly before them, and set about contributing to positive changes in their communities.
Year of the Gun is their debut album, and it contains thirteen testimonies to the power of positivity, albeit wrapped in the cloak of viciously aggressive music - a catharsis of sorts, if you will.
That Eternal Struggle have been able to recruit former Madball guitarist, Brian Daniels, to produce the record shows the level of respect the band have earned, following years of gigging with the likes of Biohazard, Turnstile and Deez Nuts, among others whenever those acts came to town.
Year of the Gun draws on many of the band’s influences, whether those be from the New York Hardcore scene, metallic Hardcore or even some old-school Thrash Metal, Eternal Struggle are able to ingest and represent some seriously ferocious tunes.
Beginning with good-old Hardcore rage and ire, Manifesto and Point One wear their Big Apple influence proudly on their sleeves. The sharp riffing and two-step rhythms brings to mind the glory days of CBGC’s as vocalist Ori Frank channels his inner Lou Koller. On Broken Backs features a unusual rhythm pattern and To My Enemies, among its thick chugging riffs, has a sequence of cascading melodies which pique the curiosity.
When Eternal Struggle embrace their more metallic side they do so through a series of Hatebreed style mid-paced bangers: Last Path, Indoctrination and the title track itself all replace the frenzy of speed with a more measured, yet no less fury-induced, delivery. Add to those the groove-laden As Heroes Fade and Pride Kills and you can see why Eternal Struggle have been blowing the doors off pre-Covid venues across the Middle East.
Year of the Gun goes full on Metal with the Slayer-esque riffing of Releechious and Modern Slave, the former also featuring some not insignificantly danceable moments and the latter a barrage of thick, juicy chugs which demonstrate a remarkably nuanced subtly.
Track fourteen is a reworking of the title track by Atari Teenage Riot’s Alex Empire, who uses harsh electronics to give the song a new urgency and an industrial feel not too far removed from Ministry or Fear Factory at their most mechanical.
Year of the Gun is a remarkable record, debut or not, but the fact that it’s Eternal Struggle’s first full-length is worthy of recognition. It’s aggressive, direct and comports itself with a swagger, in fact everything you could want from a modern Hardcore record. But best of all it’s an honest album in which the trials and tribulations are delivered from experience; and that, for me, is the heart of the matter.
