Sex Prisoner - "State Property" Review

Sex Prisoner are a band that know how do a comeback in the right way. Not that they were broken up or anything and pulled "comeback" like we usually know, but it had been a few years since there was
any noise from the Tucson, AZ crew. Their first 7" caused a bit of commotion among powerviolence and hardcore circles, and to this day it's still one of my favorite TLAL releases. Three years later, they're back and kicking 2013's ass all kinds of ways, dropping a fantastic 3-way split with ACxDC and Magnum Force, a track for a compilation 7" for Bad Teeth Recordings (alongside The Repos, To The Point and Curmudgeon, among others), and their own 7" EP, "State Property", released by the aforementioned Bad Teeth Recordings. I'm so happy to see these guys getting even more attention, and getting repped by more prominent figures in the powerviolence world (John Hoffman of Weekend Nachos fame is the owner and operator of BTR, for those unaware), because this record is incredible. Basically the only 7" I've been listening to for the past 2 weeks, I can't stop! They definitely continue down the same path they've always gone on "State Property", full on blasting meets completely ignant beat-down hardcore, but they just seem to get better and better every time. I'd definitely say that this is their best work yet. As songwriters, they've definitely stepped up; there is not a dull track out of the 10 on here, and you better believe they're packed with some of the toughest beatdown riffs I've heard all year. New guitarist, Matthew Underwood, brings a welcome mid-heavy metallic crunch to the band, evening out the sound a bit more and leaving the low end to the bass and the punishing drums. And the vocals...fuck, outstanding performances from the Kennedy brother. This record has me fighting ghosts and picking up change in my bedroom every day, and you're a damn fool if you don't buy this right now. And this just in, literally as I am about to post this, I find on their facebook page that they've been signed to a389 Records! Good going dudes!


Rating: 9.5/10

~VII