Just Another Day- N.E.G. Review

Triple-B Records had a banner year in 2019, releasing a slew of important albums. Perhaps the biggest jewel in label head Sam Yarmuth’s 2019 hardcore crown is Never Ending Game’s debut LP, Just Another Day. The Michigan band features past members of notable acts like True Love, Freedom and Detain. Their experience shines through on Just Another Day. The album is fully formed and executed to near-perfection.

NEG’s sound is a total throwback to mid-90’s New York. There are elements of Merauder’s speed, Crown of Thornz’ groove, and a whole lot of whatever Bulldoze does. There’s a liberal dose of Cold as Life, NEG’s hometown heroes, thrown in as well. NEG almost always forgo modern chugging breakdowns in favour of slam parts or old-fashioned double-time ass beatings. Most heavy bands these days have some sort of metalcore influence, so it’s refreshing to hear a band get ignorant without pulling from the same tired well. The songs on Just Another Day are straight up hardcore, but they will no doubt have kids beating the piss out of each other at shows and accidentally kicking holes through their bedroom drywall.

Just Another Day is roughly divided in two parts. The first four songs are linear and conventional in structure. They’re no-nonsense tough guy anthems that stick to the formula and pull it off. This side is highlighted by the album’s two singles – the eternally catchy “Puppet”, and “God Forgives…”, which has arguably the album’s best mosh part.

After four incredibly strong tracks comes “N.E.G. Jamz”, a groove-metal interlude in the vein of “Loading…” from the band’s debut EP.  The interlude works as a palate-cleanser, but doesn’t add a whole lot on its own. It would have been more interesting to see this style explored on a full song.
The second half of Just Another Day is where NEG start to take a couple chances.  It kicks off with “Bleeding”, the first of two previously released tracks. The song marks a shift in lyrical content. While the first half of Just Another Day deals with the outside world, the second half turns the lens inward. Self-harm, addiction, death and suicide are all tackled in a no-nonsense, melodrama-free approach. There’s more musical experimentation here too. “Bleeding” and “Stolen Life”, specifically, wind through different tempos and keys. The B-side is punctuated by melodic parts a la Master Killer or, more appropriately, Irate’s “Vendetta”. The album is capped off by “1 of Those Nights”—its boldest and most emotional offering. The track is the definite highlight of the second half, if not Just Another Day entirely.

The songs on Just Another Day are great, but a few little touches make the album pop. The track sequencing is perfect. The production is light-years ahead of NEG’s previous output, especially on the drums and vocals. The only thing I don’t like is the album art, which seems a bit cluttered to me. A minor complaint for an otherwise stellar album. I haven’t been able to stop listening to Just Another Day since it came out in October. This album was in everyone’s 2019 top 10 list for good reason.

This review was written by: Vince Guglielmi January 2, 2020

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