Reckoning – The Maze Of War LP (Geenger Records)

When you have members of Mob Law, Member Of Da Family, Hitman, All Of Us, Tibia, Stonewall, The Bridge, Deadrise, just to name a few, on the bill, then you know you’re in it for a treat. If you know your hardcore music very well, then you probably know that every iteration these folks pop up with shines with tremendous quality, so that’s the case with this band as well. Reckoning has been roaming on the Serbian hardcore scene for a while now, releasing a “MMXXII Demo” and two excellent extended plays, such as “This Is War” and “The Maze,” over the years. At the end of 2024, the band has teamed up with Geenger Records, a prolific Croatian record label, and released those two extended plays on a vinyl record. Although these two recordings have been separately written, composed, arranged, recorded, and produced, they seem like a perfect amalgamation of a band that’s currently at the peak of its power. Those who had a chance to witness this band live probably know that Reckoning sounds even better live than on those recordings, a feature not so many regional hardcore bands could brag about. Therefore, “The Maze Of War,” as the band decided to call this album, represents a perfect showcase of their songwriting and musical capabilities. With eight compositions in total and many moments when the band finds a chance to impress a listener with its ideas, this material might be one of the finest experiments with hardcore and metal elements the Balkan scene produced in recent years. Lyrically, the band tackles various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances while exploring socio-political themes. Considering the times we are living in and the ongoing conflicts on almost all continents, these are the moments when the hardcore community should raise its voice, and Reckoning is up to the task. Sonically, they do seem to follow the footsteps of bands like Twitching Tongues, Age Of Apocalypse, Life Of Agony, Only Living Witness, Pain Of Truth, Mindforce, All Out War, and Type O Negative. However, the band unquestionably infuses a breath of fresh air into this particular metalcore niche with its signature moves, which are, at least in this part of the globe, rarely heard or seen.

At first, when you hear the term metalcore, all those modern bands come to mind first, but thankfully, that’s not the case here. The members of the Reckoning have been long enough on the scene to go through all the iterations of the metalcore sound, and they certainly picked the right one. We’re talking about that sweet spot between hardcore and metal, far away from overpolished, glossy, overly technical riffs that often seem like they do not have anything to do with hardcore music. It’s a perfect blend of old school metalcore and a modern take on the same sound, but almost thirty years forward into the future. It’s a sound that the crowd usually loves, but many bands choose to ignore. It’s good to mention that the production could be compared with the recordings of the renowned contemporaries, and you couldn’t notice any difference in quality. Everything has been put together so nicely that each composition from those two EPs shines in the limelight. If you get used to All Of Us and Tibia over the years, then you’ll immediately notice how MIloš navigates complex themes through his clean, commanding, powerful voice. He seamlessly balances low, mid, and high notes with such precision and finesse, emphasizing everything the remainder of the band intended to achieve. Besides decorating all those segments and instrumentations, he also contributes a dosage of emotional depth that is nearly impossible to ignore, making “The Maze Of War” not just an ordinary metalcore album. Rajko is in the league of his own, with all those excellent gutiar riffs lurking around and providing more than necessary rawness, abrasiveness, heaviness then many listeners could chew in one sitting. His guitar tone is always on point, providing a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. Still, this album wouldn’t be complete without an equally impressive rhythm section. The tastefully distorted low-ends rumble around, offering tremendous groovy, depth, detail, and clarity while acting as a binding element between guitars and rhythmic patterns. In the meantime, the cleverly arranged, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics keep everything together while dictating groove and pace. The band thought about everything, and each instrument plays a significant role in this sonic equation, making this album worth spinning over and over again.

If you’re looking for a soulful, hearty, emotional yet raw, aggressive, powerful metalcore album that immediately pulls you in and refuses to let go, “The Maze Of War” will be right up your alley. These folks demand your attention completely. Head to Geenger Records and purchase this banger on vinyl.