Mean Pete Kowalsky was a larger than life personality in the hardcore world. Having fronted not one, but two, seminal hardcore bands in Until The End and Remembering Never (also the criminally underrated Ether Coven), Mean Pete was always a force with which to be reckoned. While I never personally was able to meet him, both during live shows and through videos I was able to enjoy and appreciate the presence he commanded on stage and the magnitude of his aura.
With Life’s Cold Grasp, Domain has not only crafted a powerful, gripping, and exquisite hardcore record but they have also found a fitting way to pay tribute to Mean Pete and the South Florida hardcore community from which they both emerged. The most fitting tribute coming from opening track, “Victory in Slaughter”. As an opener it is crushing in its musicality as well as its lyricism:
“He who holds the land can conquer the heavens
But hell is where I reside”
It is also fitting that Mean Pete’s last recorded guest vocals are lent to this introduction to Life’s Cold Grasp. It is an emotionally arresting moment to hear him one final time. This is another instance in which we forever have the ability to appreciate who he was for the hardcore community.
I also have no doubts he would’ve appreciated the entirety of this behemoth that Domain envisioned. Brevity is the name of the game on this album with every song except the final track clocking in under 3 minutes each. Like motherfucking kung fu, Life’s Cold Grasp benefits from zero wasted movement. Every song is poignant and created to get in, fuck shit up, and get the fuck out.
One of the more perfect examples of this mantra is “Spores of Industry”. A sub 2 minute punisher featuring the tortured and powerful guest vocals of SCARAB’s Mully. Kicking right into high gear, this song has all the trappings of Lowest of the Low era Terror. The track begins with a two-step tempo that gives way to a healthy and pounding build up all culminating in a tidy yet violent fucking breakdown.
Speaking of Terror, the force that is Scott Vogel also lends his talents on “Suffer to Believe”. Here we get to witness Domain flexing their late 90s/early 00s metalcore muscles. Feeling very reminiscent of Merauder (and also conveniently Buried Alive), this song is the perfect canvas for Alex and Scott to trade vocals. Vogel is a fucking master at making an impact in a tight window. There are also nostalgic nods to early South Florida metalcore à la Poison The Well with spoken lyrics (a trend I wish more bands would resurrect) and a breakdown that sounds like a tip of the cap to “A Wish for Wings That Work”.
While we’re reminiscing and highlighting guest spots, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the stellar contribution from Indecision’s1 Tom Sheehan on “Corrode”. Appropriate then that this song has shades of the Brooklyn quintet while simultaneously leaning heavily into H8000 worship (see: Arkangel) with the abundance of single note tremolo riffing that will surely burn your fucking face off. In my opinion, this song rules above all on this album and that has entirely nothing to do with my stanning of fucking everything and anything Indecision.
Album closer “No Escape/Crimson World” is the longest song on Life’s Cold Grasp by a mile at over 5 minutes and yet somehow there is no fucking fat to trim at all. The song does not let up for a moment ebbing and flowing between breakdown and up tempo seamlessly. This is the culmination of all the effort poured into the album encapsulated in the final track. A perfect and fond fuck you farewell is encapsulated in the album’s final lyrics spit mercilessly
“Torment of you still existing
Harrowed knowing you’re still alive”
A bar has been set rather high by this South Florida group. Domain has taken inspiration and siphoned off the best parts to create an exciting and dangerous record in Life’s Cold Grasp. An easy listen in the physical sense despite the amount of power generated on a full length in under 30 minutes. It is the metaphorical listening that will require and is worth much more effort. This album is everything I look for in my hardcore. It feels like home.
- Fav song: “Corrode”
FFO: hardcore, metalcore, Mean Pete, breakdowns, two steps, citrus, short songs, stage dives, head walks, south florida core
Follow this fucking link to listen and while you’re there, fucking buy something from the band:
- Yes, I know Tom also sang for Most Precious Blood. However, Justin Brannan, in a recent interview, explained how Nothing In Vain was actually more of a final Indecision record as opposed to truly a Most Precious Blood record. Also, Tom is always the vocalist for present Indecision shows. /rant ↩︎
Windmills, Spinkicks, Headbangs, Push Pits 
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