Superior - Moving Forward EP

You know what I love about music? When you feel like you're at the lowest point in your life and everything sucks, something cool happens. You find a band, an album, a song, something. All of a sudden, you don't feel so helpless, you know that you're not alone. You genuinely feel it, and it is exactly what you need, exactly when you needed it. Superior's 'Moving Forward' EP is that album for me right now.

I ended up going to a show of Superiors on a whim back in August, because a girl I kinda didn't really know at all wanted to go but had no one to go with. Liking hardcore, cheap local shows, and being a gentleman of sorts, I went with her. Of course I brought my camera and snapped some pictures. I was shocked by the level of quality that some local bands had been putting out since the last time I went to a local hardcore show. When Superior took the stage, I was fucking floored. I couldn't believe a band like this existed on a local level. Next time I saw them, they had finished recording their EP "Moving Forward". It was a house show for free and everyone got a copy of the EP for free. There is no part of that last sentence that I don't like so of course I had to go.

Being fairly technical hardcore the lyrics aren't readily apparent right when you hear it, so having an EP for at least some of the songs was awesome, cuz I got to learn some of the words to the songs I was digging. After a few days the lyrics appeared on their myspace and I was kind of shocked. It seemed as if the band knew exactly what I was going through at the moment. Songs about heartbreak and picking up the pieces and moving the fuck on. Right from the first song "The Thing Is..." the words started to hit me, telling me exactly what I needed to hear:

"How many times have I gone through this and said;
Nothing will change, you have to find the strength within.
Find the strength within..."

Lyrically speaking, the EP is the ultimate pep-talk to anyone who has ever felt shit on by someone, be it a significant other, friend or even a figure of authority in your life. This album is something you can put in, and get all kinds of inspired; to move on from a failed relationship, to go for that thing you've been afraid of reaching for, or to just step up your game and get out there and make life your own.

All my Emo bullshit aside, the EP is an impressive offering by a group of relatively young musicians. The rhythms are tight, groovy and incredibly technical with. The boys in Superior handle the time changes like a frat boy takes a beer bong. Perhaps even more impressive is the flow of the album, it comes across like at one point this was one giant 15 minute song that they split into four parts. You can listen to the album from start to finish and not even catch the switches. With the odd run of great guitar lines sprinkled in and out, the album is easily one of the best first EPs I have ever heard from any band of any genre, local or national. This is something you need to pay attention to. I can guarantee you that if these guys can continue to write music on this level musically, rhythmically, and lyrically they will be one of the biggest hardcore bands around.

If you have even the slightest taste for hardcore in your pallet, you need to check this EP out. Even if you're shy about hardcore vocals, follow along the lyrics. I can guarantee that if you don't find something to identify with, you'll find 10 things that inspire you to go out and make this life yours.