Ale Fest returns to Tremont in Lincoln Park on Saturday, July 15th!

Allergic to Whores

Life Through Death's Eyes (Rodent Popsicle Records)

By Jason Bracelin on Wed, May 14, 2003 at 4:00 am

Allergic to Whores, with the Unseen Grog Shop Sunday, May 18

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As bands like Hatebreed and H20 take mainstream hardcore into obnoxiously uplifting territory, Allergic to Whores spares us the punk pep talks. "All we live for is to suffer and slowly die," singer-guitarist Ray bellows on "Death's Grip," one of the standout tracks on Life Through Death's Eyes, one of the most fatalistic albums of its kind.

Combining blinding speed with hoarse vocals and bass that buzzes like an agitated yellow jacket, Life Through Death's Eyes is 19 minutes of unchecked misanthropy. Allergic to Whores deftly intermingles funereal, keyboard-underlain dirges such as the album-opening "Resurrection" with the mid-tempo shout-along "To Hell and Back," allowing heart rates to return to normal for a few minutes. But this is full-on rip 'n' tear rock, a violent and virulent disc that will be hard to top as this year's most savage dose of Cleveland hardcore.