CD: Kill Your Master Artist: Ashers Label: Thorp Records Rating: 2/5 Best Song: Kill Your Master Reviewer: Andy Polhamus

With their debut full length “Kill Your Master,” the Ashers claim to blend several styles of hardcore and punk. And that’s almost true. It’s certainly loud and fast—crunchy guitars and brutal screams abound—but as with many attempts to meld subgenres, “Kill Your Master” simply doesn’t have enough of anyone one thing to truly appeal to any particular punk fans.

The guitar work here will appeal to fans of heavier hardcore bands like Annihlation Time, and the intro to “Blood and Grain” may make the listener briefly wonder why the Ashers aren’t signed to Epitaph. There are a few slow, plodding Black Flag-type tracks and enough street punk anthems to make The Casualties jealous. Bass guitar with the treble knob turned way up calls to mind assorted Hellcat Records-style punk bands before giving way to soccer hoodlum gang vocals. The production itself may very well be the best part of the album: it’s a slick but tough mix that doesn’t confuse low recording quality for street cred, resulting in a record that sounds sort of like a sped up version of “Eulogy” by Boy Sets Fire.

In terms of songwriting, each track is strong and cohesive, with no truly low points like inappropriate melodic breaks or ill-advised guitar solos. I could see the Ashers becoming very popular with younger listeners who are new to hardcore punk, given their accessible style and production. Make no mistake, these guys are good at what they do.

But what they do just isn’t good enough. At no point during “Kill Your Master” will you be disgusted by musical or compositional ineptitude, but conversely, you’ll never find yourself blown away. There’s a lot to be said for not being pigeonholed, but there’s more to be said for playing songs that someone will truly love.