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Shin to Shin – S/T

Apr 5 • International News, Reviews, The Slumbering Ent • 2015 Views • No Comments on Shin to Shin – S/T

Mohammad Kabeer reviews the debut self titled from Shin to Shin, released via A389 Recordings

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Punk has had a considerable influence on metal.  Had it not been for punk, black metal and death metal would have been very different and thrash probably would have never existed. Metal has had an influence on punk as well,   Metallic hardcore bands like Anion, Skinfather and Full of Hell make punk sound even more extreme than anyone could imagine. Today I am going to review a band..or musician rather, that celebrates this fusion like no other could.

Shin to Shin is the Side project of Aaron Melnick, who although plays in many different bands like Die Hard, Inmates and In Cold Blood (a band he formed with his brother Leon Melnick in the late 90’s) ,  he is  most remembered for  his work with legendary metallic hardcore pioneers Integrity. He has contributed to some of the band’s most important releases such as Those Who Fear Tomorrow and Systems Overload. In Shin to Shin, Aaron remains close to his metallic hardcore roots , while also adding  a touch  of  some pure, good old fashioned metal which makes for some  interesting  results,  to start with the slow Beatdown( a kind of breakdown like in metalcore for the uninitiated)  riffs  that are the hallmark  of an Integrity record  and for the  genre as well sound all the more gritty and heavy here. It’s got that extra bite, that  punch that I feel was missing  in Integrity.  I especially enjoyed this riffs in the title track  Shin to Shin,  Which  I was headbanging constantly to!   The metal part of this album comes mostly  from the guitar solos  which  sound straight out of an old school thrash or death metal record. These are mostly  played  along with the beatdown riffs or some of the faster hardcore  parts which include the staple  skank beats  and chord based guitar work. Aaron’s passionate, confident soloing definitely adds a lot of flash. A lot of showmanship in a simple straightforward genre like hardcore makes this a unique and innovative blend of the two genres.  Done so in a way that it so represents both of their qualities fairly without watering things down to a cheap bastardization of either genre.

This makes Shin to Shin’s debut album a glorious celebration of everything about Hardcore/Metal and eventually about being different from the pack , despite in the smallest way possible. I think Aaron’s debut album was a great ride from start till end is something which I enjoyed thoroughly. If you are an Integrity fan  you definitely have to check out!

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These dreams of dread, I sprout, All souls so weak, they rout. These gnarled roots of mine, they bind, All souls of so feeble, a mind.

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