Search - 108 :: 18.61

Recorded over a frigid weekend in Boston, MA in the analog domain of Alex Garcia Rivera (ex-Give Up The Ghost) and later mixed by Kurt Ballou (Converge), 108 have returned with their most electrifying and intense album to date, '18.61'. From the first tension filled notes struck in 'God Talk', it's apparent that a spiritual restlessness and awareness continues to writhe in the collective consciousness of 108 which is an attribute that has set them apart from the rest of the musical world since their inception. From there '18.61' pounds forth with the upmost intensity. Standout track 'Crescent Moon' races at manic speed before crashing in on itself in one of 108's heaviest moments ever. Title track '18.61', a moving and brooding song that is as unforgettable as they come, combines all of the unique musical qualities that make up 108. The gritty 'Reduced' showcases new drummer Mike Justian (Trap Them, Unearth) as the new heart at the center of the 108 machine, rhythmically pushing the envelope with his punishing percussive power. Though the aforementioned songs are electric in every way, it's in some of the more daring tracks that '18.61' truly starts to really shine. 'Mannequins' and 'Forever Is Destroyed', for example, pick up where classics Black Flag and Rollins Band left off, taking frantic and unpredictable sonic turns that only a band like 108 could navigate. All of this makes '18.61' yet another stunning album from a band that continues to write their own destiny as one the most important and influential hardcore/punk bands in existence today.