4 In The Chamber-Empires Collapse. FFO: Blazing Biohazard/Tough Metallic Hardcore.

August 10, 2023

4 In The Chamber-Empires Collapse. FFO: Blazing Biohazard/Tough Metallic Hardcore.

Wow, 1054 records bringing the killer heat again with this sick project. This release certainly takes you by surprise; the riffs are biting, the groove factor is off the chart and the vocals are king.

This band has been kicking since the 90s but this current lineup is like the elite Special Forces of hardcore(with sizeable metalcore vibe-in the best way). Here's the history lesson fuckos:

4 In The Chamber was part of that 90s hardcore wave of no musical limits and mixed bill shows, founded in 1995 by David M (Without A Cause, Apparition & Xtinguish the Code) on bass and Frankie G on guitars. 4ITC featured a two singer vocal attack of John and Cedric, Anthony on drums and Steve on second guitar & played non-stop in the NY,NJ,PA & Conn area.

They then went into the studio with Noah Evens (Icemen) to record a two song demo & before long a solid fan base was devolving for 4ITC and it was time to drop an EP. Before the recording of the EP 4ITC parted ways with Cedric, and John took over sole vocal duties. Released in 1997 on Extreme Championship Records, “Unstable Foundation” mixed a multitude of styles including hip hop, metalcore and mosh heavy hardcore.

4ITC continued a weekend warrior attitude playing as far south as Virginia and hitting our friends to North Canada, always bringing high energy to all there live shows, in 2001 4ITC was approached by Kingfisher Records (part of Century Media) to record a full-length record , the record “Existence” was the result !!!

4ITC headed to Europe to support the record touring with the likes of Shutdown, 100 Demons and Vision, all capped off by playing the “WithFullForceFest” with names like Megadeth, and Soulfly. Judas Priest and Sick Of It All.

The late 2000s saw multiple lineup changes with John leaving and Bobby Brazen stepping in on vocals. Two more records were released, “Memories Die” and “Not For The Weak Of Heart” & during these records 4ITC continued playing all over touring Canada and Puerto Rico.

Over time members sought their own musical projects and some settled down to build a family. In early 2018 one of David’s close friends Rob (Belgium) had an idea of writing a new 4ITC EP for fun & Dave was all for it (Dave at the time was in Apparition ) so over time Rob sent track by track to Dave and the next story of 4ITC was going to be told …… then COVID !!!!

Like everything the EP took a back burner as everyone’s health and well-being was most important, but slowly things got back to normal and the EP began evolving with the 4ITC mantra of no limits on ideas and having fun Dave recruited BX drummer OG Tony Ortiz to lay down the drums, XTC guitarist G Flava handled guitars and XTC vocalist Lugo laid down the vocals all at Level Up studio, but still something was missing …..

A second vocalist would be added, none other than Orlando Furioso himself with XTC drummer Trey Bag (who played the drums on 4ITCs “Memories Die”) was also back in the fold for live shows, but something was still missing ??? Finally, the missing piece came home …. 4ITC original guitarist Frankie G was also back in the fold !!!!
Now the record was done … “Empires Collapse”, which is a blend of old-school and new-school HC with politically charged lyrics.

Yes, how's that not only played with sensational bands and kept the hardcore flame going with solid metallic hardcore vibes and an almost Biohazard/hip hop flavour for that extra shizzle but still dropping hellfire releases in 2023!.

Empires Collapse is a densely rugged six-track release that brings the old style, but at the same time is modern and always chucky and hectic. Civil Unrest brings the Downset style straight up with skin-peeling riffs and mad verses showing you that this band ain't hey to fuck about. The tension and build-up are immense and it heads into pure moshpit mayhem, this deranged combo of vocals and sheer aggression is wild and on point. The songwriting is sharp and maximised for utter effect. Solid opener!.

Gang of Villians is the next banger, the guitar tone is super gritty and a definite throwback to old hardcore like Irate etc. It has wild tempo changes and the dark mood personifies this track, anger, hatred and straight-up vitriol and mad guests vocals also. This sounds like a song to play when you go to war and a massive Biohazard-style chorus of weighty proportions. Memories Remain, I mean this band piles on the heavy tone, also the bass cuts through the brutal riffs. The slower pace towards the end is a subtle mix of South of Heaven Slayer meets Bodycount, oh yes. Clever and roughneck classic style, this ain't no EP of weak shit that's for sure.

Racial Divide is a huge highlight of this EP, the movement and structure are fantastic, the grit on this is bonkers and the catchiness is epic and showcases how well the dual vocal attack works. Some mad almost thrash metal monstrous riffs on this classic as well. 15 Minutes of Fame was the first single off the release, or at least the preview track of this EP and it is a huge track focusing on the full-on and ongoing agony of school shootings in America as a result of lunatics wanting the spotlight on them. The track is punchy, dominates your eardrums from start to end and shows how intelligent songwriting and killer production are a perfect match. The hostile vibes and pent-up energy flows on the excellent closer, Strength of Convictions, another track that reminds me of the heaviest Bodycount albums mixed with a brutal guest vocalist. Solid lyrics and some of the heaviest beatdown guitar work I have heard in a while, all skills no filler here. This release is crushing and really gets better with each listen.