''Pursuance'' is the third full-length studio album from

melodic hardcore Melodic hardcore is a broadly defined subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on melody in its guitar work. It generally incorporates fast rhythms, melodic and often distorted guitar riffs, and vocal styles tending towards shouting an ...

band,

Only Crime Only Crime is an American melodic hardcore group formed by Good Riddance singer Russ Rankin and Bane guitarist Aaron Dalbec in 2003. The band plays melodic but hard-hitting punk rock that borrows heavily from early-1980s hardcore bands such a ...

. The album was released on May 13, 2014 and is the band's first studio album to feature bassist Dan Kelly, formerly a member of the punk rock band

The Frisk The Frisk was an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, formed by Jesse Luscious, Mike Sexxx and Zach Attack, all former members of The Criminals, along with AFI member Hunter Burgan, following The Criminals 2000 breakup. The Fri ...

and guitarist Matt Hoffman, formerly of the punk band

Modern Life is War Modern Life Is War is an American hardcore punk band formed in Marshalltown, Iowa in 2002. During Modern Life Is War's six-year original run, the band released three full-length albums and one self-titled 7" EP. Despite a growing profile on the ...

. Pursuance is the band's first album to be released on Rise Records, having the previous two studio albums released on

Fat Wreck Chords Fat Wreck Chords (pronounced "Fat Records") is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett (better known as Fat Mike) in 1990. The label has released mater ...

. The album was produced by Bill Stevenson and was recorded at Stevenson's own recording studio

The Blasting Room The Blasting Room is a recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded by members of the punk rock band All in 1994, it is owned and operated by musician Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag, All, Only Crime) and Jason Livermore. Th ...

Fort Collins A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facer ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Critical reception

''Pursuance'' received positive reviews from critics, with the website Dying Scene praising the album for its more melodic sound it showcases compared to the previous studio albums, but still with plenty of anger. Dying Scene also stated in the review that with the band's first two albums being more focused on hardcore punk, this album was "both a natural progression and a bit of a departure". The review also mentioned the album's "bitter lyrics collide with almost metal guitar riffs" and that the "discordant riffs tie the album together in a very satisfyingly pissed off package". ''Richard Cocksedge'' of Punknews wrote "Where To The Nines failed to ignite my passion, Pursuance is full of fire and brimstone, bringing to the fore the qualities that you would expect from the five members of the band. I still don't like the term 'supergroup' but Only Crime have shown that the bringing together of a variety of people, skilled at their chosen field, can bear fruit. Pursuance is an album lacking filler and sets a high standard for melodic hardcore with its invigorating suite of songs."

Track listing

All music written by

, all lyrics by Russ Rankin #"We Are Divided" – 2:24 #"Contagious" – 2:28 #"In Blood" – 2:20 #"One Last Breath" – 2:21 #"Drowning" – 2:21 #"Absolution" – 3:01 #"No Truth In Love" – 1:57 #"Find Yourself Alone" – 1:58 #"Life Was Fair" – 2:46 #"See It Die" – 1:55 #"Emptiness And Lies" – 1:53 #"Bred To Fail" – 2:55

Personnel

Russ Rankin Russ Rankin (born May 25, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the singer for the punk rock bands Good Riddance and Only Crime. Career Rankin is the lead vocalist for melodic hardcore band Only Crime, Creep Division, and punk r ...

– vocals *

Zach Blair Zach Blair (born December 26, 1974) is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Chicago-based punk rock band Rise Against. Before joining Rise Against in early 2007, Blair was a member of melodic hardcor ...

– guitar * Matt Hoffman – guitar * Dan Kelly – bass * Bill Stevenson – drums

Production

* Recorded at the

Blasting Room The Blasting Room is a recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado. Founded by members of the punk rock band All in 1994, it is owned and operated by musician Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag, All, Only Crime) and Jason Livermore. The ...

Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The ci ...

, U.S. * Produced by

* Mixed by Chris Beeble * Engineered by Jason Livermore, Andrew Berlin, and Bill Stevenson

References

{{Authority control 2014 albums Only Crime albums Rise Records albums Albums produced by Bill Stevenson (musician)