Shin to Shin - S/T 12'

 This 12" has been such a long time coming it is almost hard to believe it is finally here. Shin to Shin first surfaced all the way back in 2009 with a great split with Pulling Teeth. Straight away the song caught the attention of many and since then a couple of tracks have made their may onto A389 samplers. Rumours started to crop up of an LP, but for a long time nothing happened. Towards the end of last year it was officially announced, and released a few weeks ago.

S2S is (almost) the sole work of A2, from the early Integrity years. Over the few tracks I had heard up until this LP, I felt that Shin to Shin had quickly made a unique sound that was instantly attributable to the band. That has been carried across the rest of the album, which is pretty fantastic. Each song is catchy, with a distinctly harsh vocal sound that is filled with A2's signature style of guitar solo. All except the last track of course, Maia, which changes direction entirely. Instead of the typical hardcore track you would expect, Maia is a soft instrumental acoustic track which helps you to re-equilibrate your energy back to a normal level.

  The release was handled by A389, who have of course done their usual terrific job. With artwork and design by the infamous Szymon Siech, the choice of bloodsplatter or red/white vinyl and a lyrics with some very intricate artwork, it is overall top notch. Let's hope we don't have to wait another 5 years for more S2S.