7 Seconds

Hardcore vets 7 Seconds have been around for 25 years now, and singer Kevin Seconds and gang won't let you forget it on this 17-track, 28-minute set. "Don't you tell me I'm being nostalgic/I'm not looking to go back in time," Kev belts on "Our Core." But he's lying; just two songs earlier ("Big Hardcore Mystery") he sang, "The other day we talked so long about our history," and three songs later ("Y.P.H.") he punches the air with his earnest, high-pitched voice as he chants, "This is your parents' hardcore, hardcore!" There's plenty more reminiscing throughout, plus lotsa big ups for all the memories ("Say My Thanks," "My Band, Our Crew," etc.), a couple political rants, and an LL Cool J-nicked promise that the fun won't ever stop: "Don't call it a comeback cuz it's not/Been here for years and chances are we're staying put." Musically, the quartet sticks to the tried-and-true hyperspeed hardcore template that it helped invent, and no complaints there -- it's satisfyingly tight, meaty and pit-friendly. But after all this time, 7 Seconds really should be above the sour-grapes whining that permeates "Where Is the Danger?" "Where is the danger in Hot Topic city . . . this demographic doesn't have a fucking clue," Kev sniffs, before trying to head off his detractors: "You say I'm bitter, I'm just jealous/I just resent my lack of success." They ain't lyin', dude.