local, loud and laudable

After Taste (Doghouse)

Endpoint

By Mark Clark

Put in the earplugs and grab hold of something solid.

Endpoint is back.

The group backs up its reputation as one of the finest acts in Louisville's superhot hardcore scene with its latest effort, After Taste.

For the first nine tracks of their new release, Endpoint offers what fans have come to expect: raw, high-energy thrash designed to be played at volumes rivaling that of a jet engine.

The tenth track, "Myth," is a mild departure. It's a little slower, a shade more beat-driven. The LP's final cut is -- gasp! -- a BALLAD, acoustic and everything. Not only that, it's a really good ballad, "Survival Song."

The band should consider working up more material like this unexpected treat. Softer tunes like this one make the hard stuff sound even harder. Plus, they make it easier to pick out the group's cool lyrics, which would be indecipherable elsewhere, if not for a thankfully included lyric sheet.

In all, After Taste is a solid effort that points the way to even better work ahead.