It is difficult to make interesting hardcore. The genre is defined by its unrelenting punch, furious guitars and two minute blasts of rage. Combine this with the single-mindedness of the lyrics and their obsession with oppression by the government, church, parents, school or what have you, and the style seems almost comical. Comical, that is, until you throw in this disc.

What, then, makes New Jersey's Flat Earth Society any different? For starters, this quartet's self-titled debut contains actual songs rather than snippets of half-completed ideas. Rather than the typical verse-chorus-scream-chorus-end, the band treats its fans to actual compositions. By adding breaks, crescendoes and slinky bass interludes to their songs, the band gives the feeling that they're actually going through a transformation over the course of 120 seconds rather than simply showing a snapshot of a single idea. Of course, solid song structures mean nothing without the chops to execute them. Guitarists Todd Mc B. and Walter skillfully work together to create fleshed-out chord structures. Additionally, they include enough slides and scrapes to keep the guitar work from becoming monochromatic, without making it overly gimmicky. The real treat, however, is the ungodly rhythm section of Fred (bass) and Dro (drums) (Note: both of these members, as well as Mc B, have been replaced, so I don't know how the current lineup measures up). To call this pair tight does not do them justice, and Dro's work on the floor toms gives the music a depth that is not often heard in hardcore. Finally, singer Scott Earth actually sings rather than merely bellowing his social condemnations. These elements raise tracks like "Friend" and "New" far above the average. In particular, the double-tracked vocals and variation in amplitude during the cover of Dion and the Belmonts' "Teenager in Love" bring a genuine smile to my face -- a rare event in this style of music.

In summary, although Flat Earth Society do not recreate the New York Hardcore sound, they do it better than anyone has in a long time. This makes their debut worthy of a spin.