OVERBRED

Not entirely sure of the finite release details of this excellent s/t EP from Koward. I bought it at the end of last year when a large number of them seemed to be circulating around in various places online. Before the end of November it wasn't a record that was too common to come by, though I do know that it was originally released mid 2012 in some sort of limited run. Discogs states only the one 2012 pressing however, so maybe responsible label Total Fucker was holding on to them until November for whatever reason? I don't know.
I do know that it's ripping Scando influenced hardcore punk from Boston. Perhaps the most common footnote that's been following this 7" around is the fact that this group features members of various established bands from the nu scene, most notable in my mind being Scapegoat. Mark Barone, singer of that band plays bass here, and while such differing rolls probably shouldn't have much of a similar influence on the final product, it's remarkable how parallel Koward and later Scapegoat seem to sound. Recording qualities here are massively similar to that of the Scapegoat LP, as is the guitar tone and drum sound. Jesse Cunningham's vocals even echo of Mark's. The biggest difference is the obvious fact that Koward don't utilise blast beats or dirge bits at all like Scapegoat do. Shredding EP, hopefully there's more to come.