This whole NYHC thing has gotten a bit out of hand.  It seems like a majority of the new bands popping up these days all ape the same small segment of hardcore, offering up their takes on reinvigorating the style to varying degrees of success.  Sadly, most of them don’t ever seem to get past the cookie-cutter formula that ultimately makes them all sound the same.

Then you have bands like Albany, New York’s Born Low, who have released their newest EP, The Hunger Within.  Much like the aforementioned horde of bands jocking NYHC roots, Born Low can’t do anything but admit to be on the same path, yet they’re among the minority who offer a unique twist on the sound, injecting plenty of their own personality.  While it’s clear they’ve been spinning a lot of the same records as bands they’re now labelmates with on Reaper Records (who will be handling the band’s next release), Born Low have also found a thread of darker tendencies not really present with those other bands, manifested in thicker vocals and a harder crunch in the riffs.

At a time when more and more bands are simply treading the easy, convenient path of what’s cool at the moment, it’s always refreshing to hear a band that can build on the trend and create something worthwhile.  Born Low have done just that with The Hunger Within and it’s hopefully an indication of what they have in store for their next release as well.