Vim Fuego You know immediately what you're dealing with when you first pick up Your Creation's latest album. 'The Line Ends Here' is hardcore, through and through.

Forget any melodic metalcore pretensions, knocking out third-rate At The Gates impressions. When I say hardcore, I mean hardcore. There's no room for melody with this much testosterone and adrenaline. Vocalist Lance Slaney seems to be in constant danger of bursting all the veins in his neck, like Henry Rollins at full fury. The guitars grind and roar in that ever familiar sub-death metal manner. Drummer Ricky Boam hits hard and loud with no time for messing about with fancy fills.

This is what Hatebreed would be like if Hatebreed ever bothered to do something even remotely interesting. The formulaic song structures which often dog this style of hardcore are conspicuous by their absence. Sure, there are breakdowns, but they don't always arrive where you think they might. "What Matters Most" has a staggering staccato passage mid-song which would probably confuse the average mosh pit. Your Creation also understand the value of varied tempos, rather than just sticking to the tried-and-true mid-pace chug. There's the odd experimental moment too, with unusual instrumentation or discordant riffs, which is not quite in the league of Candiria or Shai Hulud, but adds an extra dimension.

The songs include the obligatory salutes to the scene and the lifestyle, but what would a hardcore album be without those? If you're into hardcore, you already know the score, and songs about dragons, cannibal zombies and Satan's undies wouldn't fit anyway.

Metalcore fans will struggle with this, because it's too much core and not enough "metal", but that's just too bad. Your Creation aren't the sort of band to alter their style to suit anyone but themselves. Expect to lose teeth and break bones if you ever see these guys live.