by Harriet Kendrick
8 / 10
After touring Worldwide for several years, One Win Choice unveil their brand new release Conveyor, courtesy of Jump Start Records. This intense collection of tracks exposes the band’s well-structured and thoroughly thought-out process; refusing to join other thrown-together, wannabe punk and hardcore groups. Their passion for music is clearly demonstrated through emotional, metaphorical lyrics and hard hitting riffs.
Opening track Movements introduces One Win Choice’s hardcore stylings; lead vocalist Dan Kloza’s raspy screams of “Reconnect to disconnect”, distinctively strong and powerful over the distant backing vocals of his band mates. Now and again, you almost mistake Kloza for Gallows Wade Macneil, best known for his place in the line-up of Alexisonfire. If Kloza can maintain such vocal quality then the band will surely go far; not that his voice alone should overshadow the other incomparable talents in One Win Choice. As musicians, they collaborate to create structured yet free-flowing and creative music. Their fusion of genres mould together perfectly, distinguishing them from other young bands who believe ‘noise’ is enough to satisfy modern day fans.
Punk protest messaging (much like Rise Against) is subtly sliced throughout ‘Conveyor’, weaving in and out of tracks without forcefully ranting and pressurising riot ignitions. Paint Me A Better World is a great example of this, as Kloza pleads for guidance through the hardships of the modern world we live in.
Someone watch over me, Give me shelter give me safety.
As the message becomes stronger, he taunts the listener:
Tear me open and look inside, Tell me what’s wrong, what you find. Is my blood still red? My heart still beating? Find the defect, find the fault, Tell me what’s wrong, I dare you, C’mon! C’mon!
This powerful message continues into If Hell Existed, a song which refuses to drop its angry energy and would surely electrify live crowds. This is something you’ll begin to recognise about One Win Choice, their energy never ceases to stop or even slow down. Where My Allegiance Lies begins at a more subtle pace, but you can still sense its glowing energy. The fifties style American film snippet in A Convincing Argument Against provides an interesting and creative interlude, before Hands Over Hearts returns to more familiar territory with hardcore vocals, heavy guitars, and the powerful stomps of the bass drum. And just because the album is coming to an end, it doesn’t mean the band has to give up trying. Release Me brings ‘Conveyor’ to a climactic close, freeing yet more of the racing energy seen earlier in the album.
This melodic combination of hardcore, punk and metal with melancholic, awe-inspiring lyrics and harmonic vocals claims many similarities to recently-split Alexisonfire – a group who were notified for their more developed sounds. With such a strong release, perhaps One Win Choice can set their own high standard in the hardcore genre. Most definitely an album you will return to again and again.
