With the release of , New York's tossed aside their associations, choosing instead to fully commit to . The term doesn't fully describe the tone of this 1988 sophomore full-length. The dense guitar harmonies and rapid-fire power chords combine with an unceasing vocal croak that brings to mind Florida's burgeoning scene of the time. Some technically challenging double-kick drum performances -- about ten times faster than -- are all that is needed to complete this offering's genre shift away from . When compared to the precise guitar parts, the drumming on lacks definition. This gives the otherwise-impressive disc an unbalanced feel. There is no such problem on highlights like with its straight-up , or the dynamic But ultimately, some conceptual ambiguity weighs heavily on this 1988 recording: a surprisingly progressive, but ultimately disappointing effort. ~ Vincent Jeffries