“You fucking cockroach”, screams Lock & Key vocalist Rich Lardner on ‘Hostile’, the angry opener to debut album Peaceless. A track full of energy and snarling rage, it is a solid introduction to the bands’ balls to the wall hardcore.
Lock & Key formed in 2013 and have toured with Bury Tomorrow and Deez Nuts. Peaceless, which came out on 8th April, was recorded by Nathan Smith (Malevolence, Martyr Defiled), bringing a crisp production to a record that doesn’t let up.
The aforementioned ‘Hostile’ is pummelling, the mammoth guitars reminiscent of Parkway Drive. Lardner’s vocals draw comparisons to A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, emphasising the hardcore influences. The breakdowns suit a moshpit, the track going straight into the faster ‘Burning Bridges’. When Lardner screams “This is the end of the line / I’m burning bridges with you”, it could be about him cutting ties with someone who has constantly put him down, the breakdown complementing things well.
The While She Sleeps influence takes hold on this track and ‘Unclear State of Mind’, the gang vocals on both of them bringing out their melodic side. Particularly on the latter track, the breakdown is revitalising and brings heaps of energy.
It’s clear Lock & Key have poured heartfelt emotion into Peaceless. An example of this is ‘No Justice’ featuring Create to Inspire vocalist Sean Midson. Midson puts in an incredible performance, bringing the intensity up a notch. ‘No Acceptance’ is equally gnarly, discussing the frustrations of being excluded from society.
Some tracks on the album (‘Burnt Out’ and ‘Never Ender’) are difficult to tell apart because they sound similar to a lot of bands in the metalcore scene, although ‘Don’t Turn Your Back on Me’ is a cauldron of rage and motivation.
It’s about how a friendship has been torn apart, but despite the clear frustrations the protagonist has, the call of “You won’t break me” shows he is ready to move on and forget. The production on the vocals is chilling and the listener feels the impact instantly.
Despite some of the songs being forgettable, this doesn’t stop Peaceless from being a solid debut. With their reputation slowly growing, Lock & Key are ones to look out for in the growing local hardcore scene.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos