Best Local Local/Hardcore Act

Fortydaysrain

It took six years to straighten out the categories, but, with the forever-blurred lines between "metal" and "hardcore," we finally got it mostly right . . . by lumping it together. Thus Acton-based Fortydaysrain are the proud winners of the new-and-improved Metal/Hardcore trophy.

Since forming two years ago, this five-piece group have, without much notice from mainstream media-types, sold close to 1500 copies of their demo tape with no distribution; ended up on a split 7" with fellow head crushers, the Year of Our Lord; and just released their debut disc Temptation of Our Own Demise (East Coast Empire Records).

ECER also ponied up the dough for T-shirts, making our metalcore heroes the only band to have their merch fully subsidized!

Temptation is a seven-song slab of brutal metal-thrash and guttural wailing that will elevate the band to the next level on the hard-and-heavy ladder -- think CMJ charts. While the hardcore/metal genre is bloated with a bunch of same-sounding (read: boring) bands, Fortydaysrain bring some originality to the table. Sure the unanchored rage is smeared across the room, but their lyrics -- especially on "Blind Injustice" and "Price of Innocence" -- are topical, astute, and willing to go beyond the whole you-fucked-me, I-will-not-submit rhetoric. Fortydaysrain are more world-conscious, less-self-absorbed, and still able to peel the paint off the wall.

The band head back into the studio for their second full-length disc and plan to head out on their fifth East Coast tour this summer with new vocalist Jay Fox and Wonderdrug Records alums Diecast and Piecemeal. Do yourself a favor and go say howdy.

-- John O'Neill