A Review of "The Scars We Hide" by Noi!se

Tacoma, Washington's premier street punk and Oi! counterpart, Noi!se have been gaining serious recognition the last couple of years.   From sharing the stage with the likes of Rancid and Cock Sparrer, to more recently, releasing a split with Boston punk rockers, the Street Dogs, they have been constantly raising the bar for themselves in every way possible.  In the last week, they have released their second full length, The Scars We Hide and all I can really say was that I was blown away by it.  As I stated, Noi!se is a street punk band but they play their own brand of the genre with a take no prisoner's mentality plus adding some serious balls to it, as well.  It has been said time and time again that Noi!se only sings about what they know and how they see life itself, like any good band would.  I had high expectations for this release and those were met and then some more.

The record opens up with Rank & File which is a socially charged anthem that grabs the listener.  It simply talks about the current state of political and social affairs yet encourages the listener to make their own conclusion.  The band also tap into their personal experiences on tracks such as The Glass Half Empty, Silenced Voices, and Pawn In The Game which is a personal favorite.  The guitar work also comes through amazing with the rhythm section tightened town by Nate and lead guitar by Jesse, whom both really sounds fantastic on this record.  You could tell they put a lot of hard work and effort into it.  You also can't forget how catchy the song writing is by Matt Henson who is also on bass as well as the talent that comes through by Kenny Dirkes on drums.  You can really tell that they constantly step their game up as musicians to make the band better each and everyday.

The vocal variations between Nate and Matt plus adding in the extensive back up vocals blend in really well with their sound.  This is definitely displayed well on So I Drift Away, The Truth, and several more.  To include variety, Noi!se  has really fast back to basics songs such as Plastic Friends, Statistic and Bottom Of The Barrel but give you a kick to the head with the thundering drums and lead guitar work. They don't bullshit around the bush, they get straight the point. This also band does a great job with connecting to the listener as I said earlier as How We Made It Through gives you something to relate to.  We all have had to trudge through hard times in life and this song holds that to be very true.  The last two tracks, A Different Road and The Futures Waiting are the perfect ending to an amazing record.  A Different Road delivers hard and fast as an in your face street punk song while The Futures Waiting gives an inspirational turn as it tells you to get up and make a change in your life to get where you want to be.  My personal favorite line would be, "If you want to change the game, you got to change how you play" sung by Nate in the middle verse.

Overall, The Scars We Hide by Noi!se is a fantastic album.  Whether you are into street punk and Oi!, hardcore music, and the like, I recommend this album.  If you're into fast and honest street punk that is refreshing from what is coming out today, this album is also for you.  With that being said, go support Noi!se and The Scars We Hide.  You won't be disappointed.

Info for Noi!se:

Noi!se Facebook
Purchase the new album at Durty Mick Records