Insanity from Switzerland has released a great album in Toss A Coin. This hardcore five-piece band’s second album hits all the right notes to grab you by the neck in a grapple and get you skanking most of the way to its end.
The guys have a New York Hardcore (NYHC) sound; it’s not too original but cool in their style of the tradition. Think Terror, Sick Of It All, and Agnostic Front. The metallic edge of their tunes was initially a bit wearing, like cross over style which was more prolific a while back and some stuck with. The gang vocals and sing-alongs are catchy, with great riffs and breakdowns. Themes of their lyrics, per the music genre, are socially conscious: talking about life’s pleasures and unity.
I liked “No Tolerance For Intolerance” a lot with its cool riffs, lyric, catchy, silly, but real – if that makes sense. “Find A Way” was a more sensitive, uplifting, and emo tune; but still had the sound and rips. “Toss A Coin” uses the analogy about being born into life, sometimes not having a choice with your lot. “With My Friends” sings about the bonds with your pals, relaxing with friends, and possibly their tagline: ‘sanity turns into insanity / I don’t feel no gravity when I’m with my friends’. It might sound inane to some, but it makes sense when you need to hear these things. The last track “Die For” was the only track that didn’t grab me.
Insanity has released a great hardcore album in Toss A Coin. The songs have energy, flow, and feel genuine in the messages they convey. If you want a good album to go a bit nuts to then, this could fit the bill.
