k. aguilar-vocals
e. goodman-guitar
r. pagdilao-guitar
a. tetrow-bass
t. acosta-drums
Sounds Like
"A demo tape - heck yeah! It's been quite a while since I've seen one of these. Restrained blast through seven songs - one an intro - in just under ten minutes. The tracks contained here are quite reminiscent of the His Hero is Gone/Tragedy school of punk. The songs are gritty and fast; the vocals are coarse and yelled with great intensity. Restrained also work in a little bit of a modern hardcore feel into these songs with some nice mid-tempo sections, build-up sequences, and a couple of breakdowns. This tape is limited to 200 copies and comes on different colors; definitely worth the cost." - ScenePointBlank
"Last year this California five-piece released a heck of a demo tape; one that had me quite excited to hear more from them. Well here we are in 2008 and what I have before me is the brand new 7” from Restrained.
Like their previous release, the songs on this EP are filled with short, raw, and pissed off hardcore punk. Opening cut “Compliant” sets the stage with punishing drumming and crushing guitars while vocalist Kevan belts out some sickening screams. Primarily the songs operate out of the Tragedy-inspired style of punk, but there are flourishes of 90's metallic hardcore (Integrity) and repetitious metal (Neurosis) heard throughout the EP. Closer “The End” is a fine display of the band's more brooding metal side and an apt closing to this EP.
A bruising combination of hardcore, d-beat, and metal consisting of six songs in eleven minutes; that is what you get with Restrained. Prepare to be destroyed." - ScenePointBlank review of the 7"
"The debut EP from California's Restrained (on Glory Kid Records) blows through six concise tracks of furious metallic hardcore in about 11 minutes. For the most part it's fairly standard, 90's-inspired metallic hardcore based around chunky power chords and traditional hardcore runs given that heavier edge, with a few forays into darker musical influences with some slower breaks or clean runs - which, when combined with the harshness of the screamed/yelled vocals, definitely lends a certain dingy kind of His Hero is Gone aesthetic to the material. And lyrically it's a pretty even mix of the personal and political, which also makes sense given the combination of hardcore/punk influences swirling around in the mix. They're certainly not rewriting the book here, but I don't give two shits about that. The writing and recording are absolutely solid, and they're very good at what they do, so… I'm all for it. Not bad at all, and I'll be curious to see where these cats head in the future…
The 7" is limited to 500 copies with screenprinted covers and inserts, so… vinyl junkies rejoice, heh." - aversion online review
"What can be said about two of California's biggest rising acts in hardcore. Restrained from the Inland Empire (where the store is located) bring an emotional, political and very intense style hardcore punk with elements of D-Beat and Metal. The Separation from Redding, California bring a very Dark, heavy and blistering style of hardcore, think of Catharsis meets HHIG and you have a general idea. The first track on the restrained side "sabot" give you a glimpse into how much of a shaking record this is. "Burning and building, the last song on the restrained side, pokes and prods at sexual oppression, both the music and the lyrics are equally attention grabbing. The Separation start the record with nothing short of a explosive start, with dark under tones and rich harmonies both The Separation and Restrained contrast each other really well, both having similar styles but completely unique identities.
Please read the lyrics for both of these bands, if you
want to see what progression in punk rock has become, this is a GREAT example. This record comes in 4 different color covers all silk screened, with black (most rare), smoke and gold smoke vinyl and a nice booklet to go along with it. Another good record of 2008"- dr. strange records website
unfortunately these didn't end up coming out the way I'd have liked them to. eh, thought you might still want to see them though! it was an awesome show.
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