Los Angeles born TERROR takes Hardcore's ethos the scene as a brotherhood, sticking together, remembering whre you came from etc. and blends it with traditional hardcore riffing and a crunchy, metallic groove that's prime material for two-stepping in the pit. Front man Scott Vogel, easily one of the most intense (and most entertaining to watch) singers in today's scene, holds nothing back and is a virtual master of the talk-scream style. Listeners will undoubtedly understand Vogel's lyrics as he spits his words with the vitriol of Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta and Phil Anselmo in his heydey. The fact that Vogel's words are distinctly audible contributes to the immediacy and poignancy of the songs. "Strike you down", "Always the Hard Way", "Last of the Die Hards", "Test my Convictions", and "One Step Behind" are pinnacle hardcore tunes in the most classic sense. In fact, if these songs could translate to currency, they'd be valuable enough to pay off the rent debt owed by CBGB'S owner Hily Kristal, keeping the hallowed halls of the greatest venue in rock music open (and reviving those hardcore matinees the club was once so notorious for and which undoubtedly inspired Terror to do what they do). True HC fans might not appreciate the one minute, hip hop jam "Dibs and Murrs Check In", (and metal fans definitely won't), but other than that minor hiccup, "Always The Hard Way" is a punchy slab of oldschool hardcore that'd make Sick Of It All, Cro-Mags, and Madball proud.

I'm actually a pretty big fan of Terror. Even if they have "tough-guy" lyrics and come off kind of silly at times, I enjoy the way they sound. As far as One With The Underdogs goes, that was my general opinion. This album doesn't really change up their style at all, it's like adding fourteen extra tracks to their last cd. But I'm completely fine with that, I'd prefer that this band doesn't change much than change for the worse(that statement is more conservative than I'd like to admit). What's going to bug me is the hundreds of bands that pop up trying to all sound and be just like Terror. This is a bit of a digression, but I think it needs to be said(again). I was reading the liner notes to one of the songs on this album(One Step Behind) and it simply states that the hardcore scene lacks originality. Trends are picked up and forgotten in weeks, bands quickly go in and out of popularity, and something is always heavily marketed. I remember a year ago, the hardcore scene was filled with guys wearing girls pants, make-up, hundreds of facial piercing's left and right, and more metal-influenced bands than I can name. Now its changed a little, it's guys wearing crooked baseball caps, basketball shorts, and more Terror clones than I thought possible. I just don't get it, it seems that to fit in you have to look like a moron. I could probably name a dozen bands that sound jut like Terror(although some may have come before), so I will; Donnybrook, Hatebreed, Furious Styles, Triple Threat, Madball, Icepick, E-Town Beatdown, First Blood, Guns Up!, Hoods, Know The Score, and Kids Like Us. Anyway's, there's a few things Terror has done a little bit differently on this album. For one, they're playing faster and not as chuggy, although there are still a few parts in some songs that get into some pretty painful breakdowns. But unlike the last album, the music is a bit more complicated, the guitarists riffs move along quickly, the drummer plays far more double kick rhythms, but the bass player kind of seems like background noise. Not that the music was that complicated to begin with, I could play most of their songs after about 10 minutes or so, its just that their speed makes them fantastic. The back-up group chants are used a lot in all of their songs too, and there's guest vocals on a few songs too. Everyone loves guest vocals, or at least I do. I definitely would have bought this cd if it hadn't been given to me, it was on my "to buy" list. Although it doesn't sound much different than One With The Underdogs, it's a great cd to listen to. It makes me want to brawl or dance or go to a Terror show. I can't wait for the day that I look back and realize I was a chump for listening to this band, but that probably won't be for a while. I recommend acquiring this album though, it's pretty good.

Terror is among a handful of this new millennium’s hardcore bands who take great pains to sound like their elders, and there’s no shame in that. Led by Scott Vogel, veteran of Buffalo bands Slugfest, Buried Alive and Despair, Terror proudly make textbook hardcore in the vein of latter-day Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law, and Hatebreed. Scratchy tough guy vocals, rapid-fire aural attacks, and breakdowns with some swing to ‘em ensure that things are fast, vicious, and have lasting effects. Always The Hard Way could be Vogel’s Live Journal page set to music. After each song, he provides a blurb detailing it’s meaning, so there’s no confusing his intentions. The lone exception comes when, in a gesture of underground solidarity, Terror reach out to hip-hop and have MC Murs and DJ Mr. Dibbs kick it on one track. Otherwise, the band dutifully hits on every hardcore cornerstone (anti-racism, strength of will, poseurs) with bone-breaking glee. On ‘All For Revenge’ Vogel takes responsibility for the non-exemplary hardcore music that’s been fed to kids for too long. He calls on his old school compatriots to stop romanticizing the old days and get back to the stage. But there’s a caveat: “Last of the Diehards,” with its bombastic sing-along chorus, warns against those popular reunion shows that surfaced last year. Don’t do it to remind people how important you were to the scene-do it because you still believe in it.

Alot of people have naysayed this record during its inception and to be honest they all couldn't be further from the truth. As the reigning kings of hardcore, Terror's sophmore full length was due to bring up some debate. Here we have the most consistently aggressive and visceral tracks produced from these guys. Instead of another record that could be written off as a by the numbers sing along mosh fest, what we have is something new and quite potent. Taking cues from the old school metal influenced core acts and crossover bands like Leeway and even AF's One Voice, the record pounds you with serious thrash riffs that are bound to bring them to a new level. This newfound found approach is coupled with plenty of mid tempo riffs that have a great groove and rhythm like Madball, Merauder or even Hatebreed. There are still plenty of great choruses backed with the big sing alongs and great builtup breakdowns. In comparison to the former efforts, Always The Hard Way definitely holds nothing back and delivers in all areas. Surprise guest appearances from Eddie Sutton of LeeWay and Aaron Knuckles of Death Threat add a diffrent texture that instantly agreeable. The idea that a band that went from Up and Coming to On Top Of The World would have people still doubting their potential is just ludicrous and this record is proof that there is more to Terror then what people want to believe. The production via Zeuss (Hatebreed/Sworn Enemy/100 Demons) has never been sharper giving the guitars and drums the right amount of punch to sound great no matter the volume. I listen to records loud and I gotta admit its hard to not put this all the way up, but I don't loose any of the crisp sounds when I do. I've said all I can about this record, its still Terror but now they ain't fucking around and you shouldn't sleep on this masterpiece.... mark my words - Every Hardcore band will start using thrash riffs in the next 8 months. Be Ready..

If there’s one band that knows how to create the musical equivalent of smashing your head into a brick wall, it’s Terror. Their latest album “Always The Hard Way” provides ample proof of this. From the crushing opener “All For Revenge” onwards, it’s full speed ahead with fast, brutal hardcore the way it should sound: straight-forward and straight to your face. Although with a song like “Smash Through You”, they demonstrate they don’t only excel when playing fast-paced songs (with killer breaks in all the right places though), but more mid-tempo parts work for them too. The production was in the hands of Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown, Madball) this time, and again sounds top-notch. As for guest vocalists joining Scott Vogel’s larynx-shredding heartfelt shouts: Leeway’s Eddie Sutton lends his voice on the awesome “So Close To Defeat”, and Aaron Knuckles (Death Threat) joins in on “You Can’t Break Me”. Hip hop interlude “Dibbs And Murs Check In”, featuring emcee Murs and Mr Dibbs, seems completely out of place though. But hey, there’s still 13 songs left that hit you like a sledge hammer, so why complain… Besides the music, I think it’s definitely worth mentioning the remarkable artwork/ layout, designed by Jonathan Buske (http://www.actwondesign.com/pages/_packaging/terror.html ). He used paintings by Rubens, and the result looks pretty impressive. The first time I gave “Always The Hard Way” a listen, I thought it didn’t come close to “Lowest Of The Low”. But I quickly found it to be one of those albums that grow on you; you get more and more out of it every time you listen to it. I still doubt it will ever surpass their debut, but it’s getting damn close… I’m sure that with the material from “Always The Hard Way”, Terror is once again bound to create mayhem in pits around the globe. I for one can’t wait for them to head over to Europe again later this year, to prove me right!

Terror's top-notch consistency continues on "Always The Hard Way", an album that sees the band maintaining the feverish stride they hit on "One With The Underdogs" and pushing themselves even faster to get more impressive results. A razor sharp mix of tough guy metalcore and hardcore determination, the bands rage is precisely cleaved through the means of hulking riffs, thunderous breakdowns and breakneck speed. In keeping with tradition too, brevity is also practiced with the longest song clocking in at 2:39. Of course you can also expect a few gang vocals and the like, but realistically, the main strength showcased on this latest effort is the lean muscular musicianship. The vehemence is rapidly brought to a boil and more often than not, Terror sound like Hatebreed on Steroids. But while the bands playing has evolved, that's not to say their songwriting has expanded as well. Instead it's been pared down to its most crucial elements. Sure tracks like "Close To Defeat" and "Smash Through You" do suggest some mental growth, but most of the album is essentially just the building of muscle mass; that is of course aside from the somewhat throwaway included hip-hop cut "Dibbs And Murs Check In" (led by guests Murs and Mr. Dibbs), which will no doubt catch many off-guard. The things that do hinder the band and the style of music they play in general though are the similar construction of each song and the barrage of blunt force lyrical content, which while empowering and aggressive, can become a bit stagnant due to its unrelenting nature. In their defense though, the band don't exactly make music as art as much as they do for a cathartic release; and with the amount of mosh-pit bred bruises "Always The Hard Way" will produce, you'd be hard pressed to consider this album anything less than a success for the band.

Ahhh, Terror, Terror, Terror, Terror. Just like seeing an old friend for the first time in years and realizing they haven’t changed at all, Terror are one of those hardcore bands where you know exactly what you are going to get, and the enjoyment you are going to get from them. No frills, modern hardcore, Terror still need to be seen live in order to be truly appreciated- with their records almost acting as a means to tour their asses off. Still, their energy is effortlessly conveyed upon record too with “Always the Hard Way” being perhaps the best representation of the band yet. Whilst it’s almost too much of a cliché to say- this record really is faster and heavier than their two previous albums. More importantly though- the riffs, breakdowns and song structures seem far more considered now-with memorable tunes far higher on the agenda without sacrificing one iota of their knack for writing music to cause pit chaos too. As is to be expected with Terror there are still some cringe-worthy lyrics and old-school guest vocals, but this is still Terrors’ strongest album yet by far.

Now that bassist Franky “Three gun” Novinec has actually joined Hatebreed and the Terror fan base is made up of almost entirely of people far too cool to admit to liking Jamey Jasta’s early-learning-Centre brutecore sing-alongs, it seems pretty inevitable that the band we once relied upon to inspire our jaded scene will instead be inspiring bouts of dry heaving. However, instead of taking previous album, “One with the Underdogs”, to its logical fist-in-the-air conclusion, Terror have reached back to their debut and dragged it three years into the future, upgrading the reckless fury to full-on weaponised aggression. Scott Vogel’s voice has retained all of the body that gave their second effort such incredible punch whilst regaining all of the malice from his pre-Terror days in cult favorites Buried Alive. With allies such as Leeway’s Eddie Sutton, Death Threat’s Asron Butkus (who brings to life the awesome ‘You Can’t Break Me’) and, inexplicably, a couple of hip hop MC’s from Atmosphere, Terror are born again with both vigor and purpose renewed in the most spectacular and punishing fashion possible.

HARDCORE. There’s nothing quite like the sound of a band just getting it right. Especially when so many get it so tragically wrong. While most outsiders view hardcore as a ridiculous display of aggression and noise, the passion energy and conviction needed to make the music connect emotionally are difficult to balance. LA-based powerhouse Terror, however, has the levels just right and “Always the Hard Way” is a devastatingly intense record. It starts with precisely 15 seconds of screeching guitar feedback before Terror charge into “All for Revenge” at full speed with no intention of hitting the breaks, ever. As opening songs go, they don’t come much more powerful than this, distilling everything that was so exhilarating about ‘80’s hardcore giants like Agnostic front and Sick of it All, Leeway, and the Cro-Mags and making it sound so damn now. And that’s the key to their success. This ain’t no retro trip. This is hardcore, stripped away of all the bullshit and played by people who really know how to channel their rage. The speed and power with which drummer Nick Jett slams his skins has you thanking the gods it’s his drums and not your face he’s hitting. While vocalist Scott Vogel focuses the thunderous noise and gives it thought and meaning. This is an immensely hard-hitting record. Their reputation as one of hardcore’s best is safe DOWNLOAD: ‘Lost’ FOR FANS OF: Agnostic Front, Leeway

Prior to the recent release of TERROR's "Always the Hard Way", many were surely thinking something along the lines of, "How in the hell are they ever going to match the blind rage, unbelievable intensity, and true hardcore delivery of 2004's 'One with the Underdogs'." That's an easy one, kids. You make another outstanding hardcore album. I'm not yet ready to say that the members of TERROR have topped themselves again, but I'm leaning closer to it with every spin of this vicious little bastard. On "Always the Hard Way", these Los Angeles warriors once again put the pretenders to shame by dishing out track after track of relentlessly brutal hardcore. Though there is a significant metal edge to several tracks, that facet of the album has far more to do with a handful of thrashy crossover riffs than anything resembling metalcore. Trust me, "Always the Hard Way" is a friggin' hardcore album…period. Even though the odd pace change is utilized, mainly breaks for brief and effective chug grooves, those that know anything about TERROR will realize that this is anything but one of those breakdown-upon-breakdown 'core albums that continue to flood the market. With the exception of the mid-tempo bulldozer crush of "Smash Through You" and a hip-hop track by MURS and MR. DIBBS called "Dibbs and Murs Check In", "Always the Hard Way" is primarily about speed, speed, and more speed. "All For Revenge", "Strike Down", "Test My Convictions", the list of lightning quick bludgeon bursts goes on and on. Oh, and don't get your panties in a twist over the hip-hop track. Vogel is a self-described fan of the style and the tune is a street trough piece that works surprisingly well amidst the hardcore violence. "Always the Hard Way" is about songs that stick and performances that slay. The vocals of Scott Vogel are once again unbelievably violent, the riffing of guitarists Doug Weber and Franc Novinec are ferocious, and the rhythm section of drummer Nick Jett and Jonathan Buske is painfully intense. Through all the damage inflicted the quintet is still able to leave vocal lines and choruses imbedded in the brain, as the gang-shouted title track and "Last of the Diehards" so aptly illustrate. Aside from a slew of friends enlisted for various gang vocal parts, "So Close to Defeat" features LEEWAY's Eddie Sutton on solo guest vocals during the last section of yet another superb tune. Band pal Aaron of DEATH THREAT trades barbs with Vogel on "You Can't Break Me", the former's peculiar style providing effective contrast to Vogel's throaty bark. In addition, each set of lyrics in the booklet comes with an explanation of the inspiration behind the song. TERROR doesn't know how to fake it. Make no mistake; this is the hard stuff. Let's not beat around the bush here, "Always the Hard Way" is 2006's hardcore gold standard.

I really liked "One With the Underdogs" a lot when it came out, but for some reason it hasn't really stood up as well for me over time, so I'm pretty pleased that Terror's latest Trustkill release, "Always the Hard Way", is a much more pissed off sounding album. Make no mistake, it's basically the same form of textbook metallic hardcore for which the band is known, but the recording, while not perfect, is much stronger and more immediate than that of "...Underdogs"; so when you couple that with an angrier sounding vocal performance and a musical base that brings in more of a driving, churning crunch to the grooves... it definitely works. They plow through 14 tracks in less than a half-hour, and the more I listen to it, the more I dig it. Upon first listen you can miss some of the minor little variances that offer a smidge more diversity than the band's past efforts, but I really dig how they balance those Madball-esque midpaced rhythms with a borderline thrashy take on the speeds and chord progressions of traditional hardcore. Plus, there are a couple of quick segments herein that almost come across as a heavier, more modern take on some of the throbbing pulses found in early Cro-Mags classics (check that intro to "Hardship Belongs to Me")... so how can you go wrong!? Oh, and a guest vocal spot from Leeway's Eddie Sutton? Awesome. Enough said.

After putting in years of hard graft with highly respected Buffalo, NY hardcore acts such as Despair and Buried Alive, vocalist Scott Vogel made the cross-country move to L.A. in 2002 in order to start a mascara-smeared glam rock band on the Sunset Strip. Just kidding. In fact, the preternaturally pissed singer sought out like-minded cohorts with whom to launch his next, aptly named hardcore venture, Terror, quickly invading the local club scene, heading out on van-driven national tours, and signing with Trustkill Records for the release of their 2004 debut album, One with the Underdogs. Two years, and countless roads traveled later, the quintet entered Massachusetts' Planet Z Studios to work on their sophomore effort Always the Hard Way, recording with renowned producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, etc.), who helped lend the album's hardcore roots that contemporary, metallic edge so popular in the mid-2000s. Powered by precision-tool riffing and machine-gun percussion, shout-out anthems like "Last of the Diehards," "You Can't Break Me," and the title track are as clichéd as they are irresistibly infectious; perfectly framing Vogel's formidable presence at the mic and making the disc's breakneck-paced 29 minutes fly by in what seems like a New York minute. As such, Always the Hard Way proves ideal audio punishment for grizzled hardcore purists and mid-2000s metalcore kids alike; just as long as fans don't expect any innovations from the genre, and don't mind the surprising hip-hop interlude "Dibbs and Murs Check In" that interrupts the album's intense pacing.

When I heard that Terror was releasing a new CD called “Always the Hard way” I expected it, and many with me I think, to be a logical follow-up to “One with the Underdogs”. And although I liked their second release quite a bit, I was a little scared that another dose of Madball and tough guy influences would make Terror a little cliché. Opening song “All for Revenge” blasted all my expectations to pieces within 10 seconds however. With “Always the Hard way” Terror moves back into the direction of “Lowest of the Low”. Extreme aggression is what you get when you listen to this second full-length, and it’s brought with such a pace that it will make you break some necks in no-time! Terror probably choose to open their record as aggressive as possible, and actually it intimidated me a little bit. The EXTREME musical ASSAULT that is spat in your face within the first minute makes it a bit difficult to roll into this album (“All for Revenge” is possibly the fastest and most violent intro track I ever heard.). A little further down the road, the guitars and drums begin grooving a little more however and create together with a pissed off Scott Vogel unbelievable energetic, aggressive and tough hardcore! Some extra attention could be paid to guest vocals from Eddie (Leeway) and Aaron (Death Threat). I don’t think it’s necessary however since Scott would also have managed on his own. Two more things should be considered before rating this release and those are: Package and Production. First off, the package is great! The artwork looks like they put great effort into it. The lyrics and Scott’s explanation are also cool! I’m not such a fan of the production though. After some spins I got kind of used to it, but especially at first, I found it a bit to polished and metallic. The raw music that Terror plays could use a raw production too in my eyes. Furthermore, this is a release that every hardcore fanatic should own. I can't wait to see this amazing live band perform these songs live! The Final Shiznick: 92%

There are very few certainties in life, but they do exist: 1. Tom Cruise and Katie Holms didn't really have a baby. Besides everyone knows he's gay 2. Pam Anderson will have another boob job (which way they go is anyone's guess). 3. Trailer Park Boys will only get funnier with every season. We can add one more to the list: 4. Terror will always sound like Terror. Whoa! That's right - I'm putting my cred (yeah, right) on the line. I'm saying it. Terror is going to be one of those consistently dependable bands that every music fan needs. Always the Hard Way is the Los Angeles' band's second full-length, adding to a small, but impressive collection of EPs and splits. For anyone familiar with their previous work, such as the stellar 2002 EP Lowest of the Low and 2004's One With The Underdogs, the band's latest effort won't be a surprise. What can I say - it sounds like Terror. For those who aren't in the know, Terror plays a ferocious blend of metal and hardcore. They often come really close to falling knee-deep into tough-guy, and get their feet wet with it a few times. But heck, listen to this stuff and you'll see that it's an accomplishment to avoid a 100% tough-guy takeover. However, what makes Terror stand out from the pack - besides the clear conviction and honesty in what they do - is that if you don't take the few negative aspects of them too seriously, you can have a lot of fun with Always the Hard Way. Despite the nearly-constant double-bass drum pummeling, there's some real melody hiding somewhere in there along with loads of opportunities for fist-pumping, finger-pointing sing-a-longs.

After a couple of 7 inch EP's the name Terror became renowned in the hardcore scene when they released the MCD "Lowest of the Low". The guys in Terror only consolidated this name with the release of a split EP with Ringworm and their debut full-length "One with the Underdogs". Blasting out some aggressive old-school hardcore was exactly what the fans of this genre were waiting for, so the time was right for a band like Terror. Now the new album has been released and Terror simply continue blasting out some of the most relentless, no hold barred hardcore this side of the 21st century. I mean, you definitely have to go back to the 80's and early 90's to find hardcore in this style. You can conclude that Terror definitely get inspired by that era and when listening to "Always the Hard Way" you immediately think of bands like Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, Cro-Mags and the likes. This definitely is what hardcore should sound like, so no influences of other genres or other crap. With great production, courtesy of Zuess, this album is a must have for all hardcore fanatics and in a live environment the spilling of blood is certain!

When their previous record “One With The Underdogs” was released, I liked it a lot. But somehow when I want to listen to some Terror tunes I always pick their debut “Lowest Of The Low”. Maybe this will change in the future, since “Always The Hard Way” is a very good album. Many people, including myself, thought the new record would be a logical follow-up to “One With The Underdogs” and that would mean the sound of Terror would gradually become so predictable that people might start losing interest. Luckily the band prevented this by going back to their earlier sound while at the same time expanding it with some new influences. Of course there’s the familiar ingredients you know from Terror, like the NYHC groove and the furious aggression, but expect some new features too. Metallic guitar parts for example (check the intros of “Lost” and “Hardship Belongs To Me”) and more variation than on the previous record. Scott Vogel has some guests with him on vocals in a few songs, like Eddie Sutton from Leeway, Aaron Knuckles from Death Threat and there’s even some hip hop (“Dibbs And Murs Check In”)! In case you want to know what all the lyrics are about, Scott explained them all, so there’s no room for false interpretations here. I especially like Scott’s view on the reunion fever that’s been going on in the hardcore scene (“Last Of The Diehards”) and the copycat mentality of the scene (“One Step Behind”). Add a very clear production and impressive artwork and you’ll understand why I don’t see myself getting tired of this record very soon. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In 2004 Terror released their full length debut One With The Underdogs which immediately put them in the head of the pack when you’re talking about straight to your face hardcore. With One With The Underdogs they put up a high standard for not only themselves but also the rest of the world. After several tours with Hatebreed, Biohazard and Madball, Terror went back to the studio to records their second full length album Always The Hard Way. Now the important question is will they surpass their latest album with Always The Hard Way.   As for the music Terror stands somewhere between Hatebreed, Madball and Agnostic Front. Of course these are great bands to be compared to but Terror can live up to the expectations with their sound.   After a rather standard intro ‘All For Revenge’ kicks in and I’m of to a half an hour of pounding hardcore. With the first songs ‘All For Revenge’, ‘Strike You Down’ and  ‘Survival Comes Crashing In’ it’s very obvious the sound of Terror didn’t change a bit. Most of the songs even could have been on One With The Underdogs. But on the other hand the production is much better in comparison to One With The Underdogs. Always The Hard Way sounds rough, raw and smooth at the same time. But that isn’t really strange if you think of the fact that Zeuss (Hatebreed, Throwdown) produced the album.   Where Terror called in the help from Jamey Jasta from Hatebreed, Freddy Cricien from Madball  and Lord Ezec from Skarhead on One With The Underdogs it’s now time for Eddie Sutton from Leeway and Aaron from Death Threat to perform a guest appearance on the album. The songs with these vocalist are great en gives the album just enough variety. But they’re not the only guest performances on the album the rappers Emcee Murs and Mr Dibbs even have their own song called ‘Dibbs And Murs Checks In’. The song last for nearly a minute and that is long enough.   I believe Terror has created a killer album with jaw dropping songs like ‘Always The Hard Way’, ‘All For Revenge, ‘Last Of The Diehards’, ‘Close To Defeat’ and ‘One Step Behind’. It’s a pity Dibbs and Murs checks in but can’t we all make a mistake. Always The Hard Way is an album that will end high in my yearlist. If the instruction I received are right they will come to Europe in the fall of this year, so be prepared because Terror is like a bulldozer that stops for nothing or no one. Score: 93%