Having invaded the hardcore scene slowly but surely, More Than Life are now screaming their way to the forefront. What’s Left Of Me doesn’t bow out from the resultant pressure of the big time, comprising of nine tracks of fine, guitar-laden hardcore thrash that explore themes of love, destruction and anger.

The five piece thoughtfully ease you into the onslaught with instrumental opener “Asleep” serving as a short melancholic calm before the storm. Yet the crashing opening bars of “Weight of the World” are not shy to cut in, signaling where the peaceful ends and rebellious begins. From then on, the band continuously grapple for and reach the breaking points of both emotions and vocal chords.

Title track “What’s Left Of Me” is a fittingly angst-ridden tirade that unfurls and explodes with the bitter howl of “Some things will never change, what’s left of me” at its burnout. It’s a nod to Neil Kennedy’s (Landscapes, Don Broco, Last Witness) skills as producer that More Than Life have found a way to imprint the power of their live performances onto recordings like this. More reflective moments like those on “Threshold” benefit from his skills most, where more harmonic and fluid songwriting are made to sound little less than vast. The strength of More Than Life’s riffs has also thankfully been captured, the forceful chords of “Seasons Change” feeling as big as the band’s live speaker stacks.

It’s single “Do You Remember” which still stands out; a sparse yet charged scream into an abyss of minimal rousing rock, it’s here that More Than Life successfully bridge the often rocky terrain between hardcore and alternative. Further praise should be reserved for the closing six minute rollercoaster “Love Is Not Enough”, an anthemic finale of violent breakdowns melting into minutes of yearning strings.

Having honed their songs on the road, the quintet have used the LP to experiment with more mainstream sounds, but manage to retain a raw edge sharpened underground. It’s a bold start on a next chapter that doesn’t forget where they came from.