Man, anyone who longs for the days of good ol' Spirit-filled hardcore without all the politics has to check out these guys. Plain and simple, straight-ahead hardcore. And get this: they have TWO vocalists. That's right, kiddies. Jason, one of the vocalists, does Dan Weyandt/ZAO style vocals (he was doing it before Dan was), and the other vox, Aaron, actually sounds like Shawn Jonas (deep-throating it a little, though). Sadly, Jason blew his voice box (literally, it was gross), but they have a replacement who sounds just as good. Jason Stinson from Overcome even makes an appearance on "Sin Revealed," sharing vocals with the other two singers.

Musically, Point of Recognition is just straight hardcore. Not metalcore or noisecore specifically, even though there are tiny glimpses of that, just plain ol' butt-kicking hardcore. Their entire sound is rooted deep in breakdowns and sing-alongs, a la No Innocent Victim. The two vocalists trade off on verses and phrases, creating an incredibly powerful effect. The mix is clean; everything is balanced perfectly, but not as powerful as I would have liked it. The drums are present; you can hear them, but they don't have any power behind them. Guitars and bass are fairly decent, and the vocals stand out completely. Recorded at Bob Moon studios, Admiration of a Son showcases raw power and emotion, combined with old style hardcore, to produce an admirable album. I guess this could be considered underground hardcore (maybe, maybe not), but either way, it's good stuff.

I love this CD and can't find too much to pick apart here. It has plenty of replay value, and it makes you want to start moshing wherever you are. Although it may not be the absolute greatest CD in the world, it is quite solid and gives your typical Solid State band more than a run for their money.

"Fight for Jesus and no one will bring you down." - POR