Short Lived Sasscore: The Color Of Violence's 'Youthanize'

THE COLOR OF VIOLENCE: YOUTHANIZE

SCORE: 70/100

Youthanize is a longer exploration into the Sasscore genre than many other projects under the genre, and it uses its 28-minute runtime to create something potent. It's an album that is packed full of riffs that will leave you immersed and hooked on the album - and The Color Of Violence are one of those hidden gems that you don't often stumble across. 

The Color Of Violence are a band that spawned as a side project between two of the members of From First To Last, with both Derek Bloom and Travis Richter being in the band and creating something that diverts from their sound in From First To Last while still keeping the post-hardcore elements that they were respectively known for very much so alive. 

This is an album that starts off and continues like a punch to the skull. It's abrasive, loud, and nonstop in its sound. Punchy drums, screams, and a fast-pace make this album a head trip for anyone who stops in to listen; and it's no wonder to see where the praise for the album comes from. 

There are some moments on this album where you can tell that the band were very much so creating this album out of fun and enjoyment - meaning that some of the songs are less sonically inclined than others. When the album is sharp and focused, it's great, but when the band diverts from the sharp edge of their sound in favour of something more comical, it backfires, creating an album that is very mixed in its sound and quality output. 

Youthanize uses a punchy sound structure throughout the album that is rooted in chaos and harshness, with a unique sound palate driving the album. 

It's a Sasscore record that feels like the band was teetering between knowing right where their niche was and not quite grasping it; and the result is a solid screamo record that has elements of sarcasm and explicitness gravitated from various genres. It's chaotic, full of different time signatures, and very heavy - meaning that it's a very fun record at its core despite some weaker moments.