Oh, Deathwish. This label just can't do any wrong. With incredible names such as Converge and Doomriders allready on their starry sky, one would think that every band on this label is shoved with quality. Reign Supreme were recently presented to me by a good friend who always seems to throw the right bands in my direction. I went for it and got their whole discography blindly, and here I am, banging my head to their latest effort, Testing the Limits of Infinite. This album is more or less a compilation of their debut vinyl American Violence and their follow-up EP Fuck the Weak as well as some additional macho tunes. Overall this has a remarkably better sound than the last two, so considering this their first proper outing wouldn't be a sin. Wielding a hammer of such metallic anger and musical aggression,I can't help but think about Crowbar and Integrity. This is definitely one of the coolest plain American hardcore bands that have emerged in later years, and look out, they're at your doorstep, waiting to smash your face in.

Picture Hatebreed. Yeah I'm serious. Picture Hatebreed with balls, mixed with Comeback Kid and Crowbar weaved into a musical smoke that reeks of Axe to Fall (latest Converge for those who don't know). Testing the Limits of Infinite is full of hard-hitting, furious riffs and a clear fuck-you attitude to top it all. Violently plunging their way through the unsuspecting masses, Reign Supreme is led by a Jay Pepito in blind rage. Except his few but annoying mishaps trying some high-pitched wails, he is otherwise brilliant. Screaming and shouting orders of punishment. Reign Supreme will bow to no-one.

Fast, no-bullshit, uncompromising hardcore with an edgy metallic layer swept around it is the recipe for success here, and even though this has its highs and lows it manages to pull through with excellence. The only flaw here is the usual one, and even though Reign Supreme are mostly brilliant, they get trapped in recycling-mode once in a while where every riff sounds like something familiar. This is however overshadowed by the mature song-writing which is simple yet very interesting. With head-stompers like the short and razor-sharp opener Mother Superior, thrashing Apostle, personal favourite And Come What May and the stunning finisher A Ghost in the City, Reign Supreme succeeds in bringing American hardcore back into interest without sounding to monotone and bland. This is colourful, fresh, yet still dark and bloody at the same time. The punk-y attitude fits the music perfectly, and the guys are headed of in a very bright direction.

This album is a violent roller-coaster. Speedy, fast, aggressive and breathtaking with very few slow and boring parts. If you like any of the bands mentioned in the review, then you should check this out. If the latest Converge was too complex for your liking, and Hatebreed too pansy, then this should be something of interest if you're into simple sounding yet bone-crushing American hardcore done better than most. Great stuff, highly recommended!