Rorschach - Remain Sedate (1990)^{Release ID: 3130}

The revolutionary history of metalcore all began with this hardcore quintet from New Jersey. If you enjoy the sound developed and popularized by Converge or the recent noise-grind of Nails, Rorschach is the band to thank! Such a miracle wouldn't come without a misfortune. Shortly after their debut, vocalist Charles Maggio came down with Hodgkin's disease. After a 3-day cripple, he was able to continue shows to work up some smoke, sweat, and spit, though his vocal style would change for their next album.

Rorschach's debut Remain Sedate would bring a rebellious future to mankind. After the decadent 80s when metal and hardcore were two separate sides, the despondent 90s was when both genres have been united. Maggio had to fight his own battles when keeping together 3 jobs; his time in the band, being an accountant, and a father of twins, and all that energy would be put into making a real scene-changer. Rorschach has made the perfect stylistic formula for the most brutal hardcore at that time, transcending into a new style they wanted to invent. This is a relentless D-beat-inspired assault of crushing riffs and tormented screams like nothing before!

There wouldn't be much justice done if I describe in words the songs from the very first metalcore album, but I'll do my best, starting with "Pavlov's Dogs", blasting out into metalcore fury right from its very creation. "In the Year of Our Lord" can easily refer to this year being the year of the creators of metalcore. There's more of their impressive invention to come in the next 4 tracks; "Someone", "Impressions", "Clenching", and "So It Goes".

So that was the end of their first side, but they would strike again with their second side starting with "Lightning Strikes Twice". And their sound would never be alone thanks to "No One Dies Alone". Then we have the fast hardcore trio of "My Mind's in a Vice", "Checkmate", and "Exist". Finally, the chaotic dissonance fades out after "Oppress".

A new sound was unleashed like the end of the world but really a new beginning. Everything's a highlight with no tracks competing against each other, and no sh*tty filler. The slithering bass and jackhammering drums share the stage with the guitars and vocals. This raw formation of a new sound while channeling their own horrors is kind of what Black Sabbath had done when inventing heavy metal. Like Sabbath, Rorschach was a will-testing pioneer of something new. With this perfect offering, metalcore was born!

Favorites: "Pavlov's Dogs", "In the Year of Our Lord", "Impressions", "Lightning Strikes Twice", "No One Dies Alone", "Oppress"

The first real Metalcore album is, quite surprisingly to me, a fully mature and realized work of fantastic material. Usually when genres are just starting out, they go through a rough patch before hitting a sweet spot… not Rorschach. Rorschach aced the game day 1, and though the production is rough, the songwriting and musicianship are strong. Lyrically, Rorschach set the bar very high, and they take the conscious social lyrics of Hardcore Punk and give them a very dark, metallic edge that results in some seriously grim yet sharp writing.

The album is extremely short, and all the better for it. 12 tracks of dissonant aggression with simple but effective melodies is over in a flash with many songs under 2 minutes. Rorschach say an awful lot in that span, and leave an impact strong enough to birth a new genre, though they don’t seem to get this credit and remain strictly underground.