Search - 7 Seconds :: The Crew

A Must Have For Harccore Punk Fans

Ernesto Catalan Valdez | Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico | 01/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"7 Seconds were, along with Bad Religion, one of the originators of the "fast and melodic" format that harcore punk bands adopted in the early 90's (NOFX, Lag Wagon, Pennywise are some of the bands that adopted this style). "The Crew" must be the epitome of 7 Seconds "hardcore " era; the band plays at a furious thrash-like speed, but the vocal delivery always remains melodic without sounding sugary or happy go lucky (sorry, Simple Plan fans!). After this album, 7 Seconds started to "experiment" with their sound, drifting farther and farther away from their faster-than-thou sound and into a more "U2 on steroids" sound. Anyway, "The Crew" is an album that should stand side by side with other hardcore classics like MINOR THREAT, BAD BRAINS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, DRI and BLACK FLAG. The sound varies slightly from song to song (as if the band were trying to improve on the mix each time)but the overall sound is clear yet powerful. Troy's drumming, though simplistic, cuts through the songs like a hot knife and the rest of the instruments sound intense enough. The lyrics were a bit of a departure from what was going on with the hardcore scene in the mid 80's; the band sang about unity, tolerance and respect, instead of fearing nuclear warfare, which was the common thing to sing about."Here's your warning", "Definite choice", "Bully" and the heartfelt but tough-as-nails "Trust" are just some of the stand out tracks. This album, without a doubt in my mind, 7 SECONDS' finest moment, although newer releases such as "Good To Go" almost match this gem with its raw intensity!"

Historical value...

dogboy 66 | UTAH | 04/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Trust" (track 18) was, as far as I can tell, the first hardcore love song. (In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of any others.)As a "sensitive, tortured" lyricist, Kevin Seconds came to fancy himself a peer of Ian MacKaye's (Minor Threat, Embrace, Fugazi)--and though he never succceeded--the songs on this album represent a signficant evolution from the group's inane Alternative Tentacles debut (which featured the classic "I Hate Sports")."