We’re getting a full-length that reveals a maturing and confident band. We’re not simply getting another fun Backtrack record here. Bad to My World not only picks up where Darker Half and Lost in Life left off, but it also manages to progress into newer and more discerning musical layers. Their consistency as an energetic and captivating live band is dwarfed only by their consistency in writing and recording great LPs. Simply put, Backtrack has offered us yet another excellent hardcore full-length. Indeed it’s the little things that make the big difference here. If not for these subtleties, “Never Ending Web” would’ve sounded like a facsimile of most songs from earlier releases. There is a great balance captured between the blisteringly fast rhythms and the subtle guitar leads that echo from just beneath the surface of the song. The guitar work here though is really well executed. Similarly, “Never Ending Web” offers up an archetypal Backtrack sound. Yet again, Vitalo’s more-screamed-but-still-thrashy vocals elevate this song’s energy as well. Drawing on the days of Guns Up! and No Warning, the track leans most heavily on popping drums and a bass line that stomps through the song, daring the listener not to bang his/her head to the beat. The record’s title track offers up mosh-ready sing-along parts galore. And that’s not to say that there aren’t some vintage Backtrack stylings on Bad to My World. It showcases a band confident enough in their collective identity to offer their listeners something truly new. The overall songwriting here is what makes the track itself so strong. And as the rhythms focus on a simple but vocal-friendly conclusion, a masterful guitar lead, faint and also ominous, bubbles to the surface for just a moment before the song fades away. The ominous guitar ring-outs and pounding bass line open behind thudding tom beats only to speed up for viciously aggressive verse sequences. The record’s sixth track, “Cold-Blooded,” is a particular standout. The vocal progression on Bad to My World serves to improve the record overall too, especially in avoiding the punch-in/punch-out recording tactics that tend to make hardcore vocals sound artificial. For “Crooks Die Slow,” a song that opens stunningly fast, Vitalo’s scream somehow manages to speed the track up even more only to accentuate the slower grooving breakdown and bassline that close the song. By harnessing his scream a bit more, he’s added a new dynamic to the record. While his thrashy Outburst-inspired vocal style remains intact, he’s certainly upped his projection a lot here. The clearest nuance felt on this third full-length from Backtrack is the progression for frontman James Vitalo. Now, after holing up in the studio with longtime producer Nick Jett of Terror and Dean Baltulonis, Backtrack are, well, back with Bad to My World. In fact, they’ve logged hundreds of shows across the US and Europe since Lost in Life’s release. Backtrack is one of hardcore’s most consistent touring bands. Three years have passed since Long Island, NY’s Backtrack released their Bridge 9 debut, Lost in Life.
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