Judiciary: Surface Noise Album Review

By Ethan Brown
Music Journalist

Artist: Judiciary

Album: Surface Noise

Label: Closed Casket Activities

Website: judiciarytx.bandcamp.com

Texans love nothing more than hearing a Texas success story and this up and coming Texas band is already succeeding. Judiciary is a hardcore outfit based out of Lubbock, Texas, that is taking the underground world of heavy music by storm. Judiciary has been making a name for themselves since their first big release, Axis of Equality in 2016 – with credit owed to their less recognized 2014 demo tape – and continue to forge their own path by decimating anything that stands in their way.

Their newest release, Surface Noise is clear evidence of this fact, as they batter their listeners with a constant 27 minute onslaught of pure brutality. Released on January 25, 2019 with subject matter like hatred, war and social injustice, vocalist Jake Collinson has many messages to passionately bark out at you as the guitar riffs and drum beats pound into your chest.

With the release of Surface Noise, the record label Closed Casket Activities asked the band to join their ranks. This puts Judiciary near the top amongst some of the titans of the seething, hole-in-the-wall hardcore/punk community.

As a result of their signing to the label, several tours with other bands of growing popularity have opened up for Judiciary. This includes a tour starting in Austin this Halloween with label-mates Gatecreeper as well as the previous Closed Casket tour with Vamachara.

Judiciary’s popularity has grown at such a rapid rate in the hardcore/punk scene that which allows them the opportunity on this album to reach out to the peers in their community.

Track three, “Temple,” features Brody King of God’s Hate with his unmistakable, trademark baritone voice for an added layer of domineering anger to keep your neck sufficiently broken.

This is followed by track four, “Stronger Than Thou” with guest vocalist, Bryan Garris of Knocked Loose. Compared to King’s deep vocals in the previous track, Garris brings a higher pitched harsher style of vocals that gives the album a nice tonal variance.

Their third guest, Mortality Rate’s Jessica Nyx is more of a returning friend reuniting to recreate an already powerful song. Track six, “Pure Fury” with Nyx is closed out by her vicious shouting echo of Collinson’s words, “I am pure goddamn fury. I will devour you whole. Fury.”

This track may sound familiar to long time supporters of Judiciary because this song was previously released on a split album in 2017. Judiciary and Mortality Rate joined forces for a small collaboration very simply named: Mortality Rate / Judiciary Split.

Surface Noise is now over half-a-year-old already, but Texan pride makes it feel new every day. Listen to this group of angry Texans, and heed Collinson’s words, “I’ll go to war just to bring you down.” Don’t get stuck on the wrong side of the crusade when Judiciary comes swinging.