Implicate - Implicate download free

Implicate, from Middletown NY, only released this one EP. Middletown is not too far from New York City; Implicate's sound is pure 90's NYHC. The guitar displays a nice distorted tone, especially on the chugga-chugga riffs. The guitarist has no problem going from a cleaner hardcore tone to a faster thrash rhythm, and there's some nice bits of feedback in the songs to help create tension. The singer has an almost negative, shredded-throat singing style, but the lyrics betray a tendency to be generic. Lyrical topics include integrity, vegetarianism, trust, and a striving for something better. I will give the lyricist credit, though, for using words that I don't ever see in hardcore songs, like recruiter or archaic. There's a bass guitar in there somewhere, but it is rarely heard. The drummer is a solid player, but tends to rely too much on his cymbals. Overall, this is a decent release, especially if you like the 90s hardcore sound. The vocals help push this above mediocrity.