Judiciary - Surface Noise (2019)^{Release ID: 24678}

Hailing from Texas and containing the talented Mr Israel Gaza (of Gatecreeper fame) in guitar, Judiciary fell onto my radar when I was researching crossover artists for a future playlist for The Pit.  The crossover tag can become a little bit of a dreaded gap to fill on the playlist each month and so Judiciary's brand of core focussed crossover offered something new in terms of the band having some elements of metalcore infused with the more conventional aspects of their sound.  Whilst this is not so heavy an influence to make the band lose sight of their crossover credentials, the breakdowns are incorporated well alongside the traditional catchy, bouncy rhythms that crossover can offer.

Vocalists collaborate galore on this record with Bryan Garris from Knocked Loose and Jess Nyx from Mortality Rate contributing on a couple of tracks, as well as wrestler  (and God's Hate vocalist) Nate Blauvelt making an appearance also.  I will not pretend to be familiar with any of those bands, or indeed metalcore in general, but the variation is welcome on an album that is only a shade over twenty-five minutes long.  Main band vocalist Jake Collinson is the standout performer overall with his style matching the intense riffing and motor-like rhythms perfectly.  As you would expect, the guitar work is superb also and the drums are allowed to flow in the mix with overriding the rest of the performances.

For a quick blast of something a little different, Judiciary are a neat find.  They are niche most certainly and therefore not perhaps for every Pit member's taste but I found them refreshing and rewarding in equal parts without having my world set on fire.