Rucktion Records is proud to at last present DICTION's long-awaited new release "The Poor And The Hopeless", the second full-length recording from these South Lond veterans and the follow-up to 2006's "From The Depths".
"The Poor And The Hopeless" demonstrates just how much the band have grown and matured as musicians since their earlier releases. DICTION have added plenty of depth and diversity to their arsenal, drawing from many areas of hardcore, metal and punk, whilst the same frantic and heartfelt approach as before remains at the core of their sound.
"The Poor And The Hopeless" is filled with DICTION's trademark multi tempo songwriting, The 10 tracks take you on a journey through doomy riffing, as evident on the album's title track, while a strong contrast to this is the punky and anthemic shout-along of "The Flood", featuring DBS from Kartel/Injury Time's gruff vocals. Tracks vary greatly from the dark and epic "London Loop" to "Collapse", a furious burst of speed and aggression clocking in at under 1 minute 30 seconds.
Despite the amount of different elements on display, Nick's passionate and instantly recognisable vocal delivery draws the variety of styles on "The Poor And The Hopeless" together, making for a highly listenable album rather than a collection of random influences.
Much more metallic than before, DICTION have added in more guitar solos this time around, as well as some melodic vocals, which give certain songs a dark and hauting atmosphere. However, tracks like "Unsociable" prove that DICTION can still cause havoc in exactly the same hard-hitting and straight up vein as their earlier material, with blistering breakdowns and rock-hard grooves sure to incite chaos in a live environment.
"The Poor And The Hopeless" is an explosive combination of energy and rage, sure to please any fan of heavy, aggressive and original UK hardcore. The band's roots reach back well over a decade, but instead of sounding stale or predictable, DICTION prove themselves a diverse, modern and forceful unit.