In their sophomore full-length Commitment to Complications, Los Angeles' Youth Code have fleshed out the “hardcore industrial” aesthetic that's always been apparent in their live shows, where it's unclear if Ryan George's lead-fisted attack or Sara Taylor's black metal-meets-Converge rasp will do you in first. Their demo oozed with punk rawness, and while they sharpened their industrial instincts on their self-titled album, its production was a bit of a ...And Justice For All situation where the fidelity didn't quite sync up with its death-dance electronics and hardcore spirit. Here, they've amassed all their best qualities on one record, and explore more connections between the two worlds they come from.
The four originals on A Place To Stand suggested a meaner, more confident Youth Code, with more intense percussion and George ceding his vocal duties and letting Taylor, who always had a more dominating presence, take over and give the duo consistency and fury. “Transitions” and Commitment's title track stand up to “Consuming Guilt” and “To Burn Your World” as some of the most furious songs the band has made. Both, especially the title track, mechanize d-beat drumming, merging a natural feel with Godflesh-like coldness. There's swing, but it's much too fast to dance to, and staying idle isn't an option. It'd be hypnotic if it weren't for Taylor getting in your face.
With Rhys Fulber's production and guiding hand, Commitment strikes the ideal balance between the visceral nature of their demo and the polish in their work since then. He's the perfect partner for them—he is best known for his time in Front Line Assembly, a key influence on Youth Code, and with his production work with Fear Factory, he's well versed in finding the common space between industrial and guitar-based heavy music. They sound both more familiar to industrial audiences here and more like themselves. George and Taylor don't make a lot of alterations to their core sound, but Fulber allows the drum programming to strike harder and the electronics to creep longer, to feel more fulfilled even when Taylor is screaming about vulnerability and loss. They're hungrier than ever, and even with Fulber's assistance and a coveted co-sign from tourmates Skinny Puppy, Commitment is as much about “don't fuck with us” as it is “we've made it.”
Where Commitment really sets itself apart is that George and Taylor have embraced the moodier side of EBM, including quite a few tracks where they're not at Negative Approach speed constantly. This direction was hinted at with “For I Am Cursed” from Stand and “Distorted Views” from the self-titled, and with Fulber's touch, the band embraces a melodic sense that was deep within them, but buried before in minimalism. It's a needed counterpart from the abundant intensity, and even so, Taylor rarely lets up. “The Dust of Fallen Rome” is one of the album's best tracks, chiefly for Taylor's performance, where she reaches beyond her hardcore scream and plumps new emotional depths. She sounds like she's both reaching for utopia and trying not to drown in hardcore purgatory. She reaches similar heights with “Doghead,” which has a groovier tempo—its fanciness makes for quite the contrast with Taylor ripping her soul apart. Commitment makes huge strides in its production, but it's Taylor who really pushes it ahead of their past works.
Metal and hardcore have been more spiritual influences on them than sonic. With “Shift of Dismay,” featuring guitar from Nails' Todd Jones, the two sides meet at their most base level. When Taylor yells “Let the car crash” at those moments when Jones peaks, it's hard not to think of the cover of Ministry's 1990 live record In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up. Will Commitment cross over to metalheads and hardcore kids who may normally be averse to electronics? It should.
