Veil of Ignorance
Raised Fist · 2009
41 min · 14 tracks · hardcore punk
A relentless barrage of hardcore punk energy filled with incisive social commentary and emotional urgency.
Top tracks — play these first
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They Can't Keep Us Down — This track epitomizes the band's defiance against oppression with its driving rhythms and anthemic chorus, serving as a rallying cry for resilience.
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Volcano Is Me — With its explosive energy and introspective lyrics, this song captures the internal struggle between personal turmoil and societal expectations.
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Wounds — This track delves into themes of pain and recovery, showcasing the band's ability to blend intense emotion with powerful instrumentation.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong lyrical content and energetic performances typical of hardcore punk, though it has some pacing issues.
What we noticed
- The album opens with an aggressive tempo that is maintained through the first six tracks, creating a relentless energy.
- Lyrical themes focus on social issues and personal struggles, often delivered with a shouted vocal style that emphasizes urgency.
- The production is raw and unpolished, characteristic of hardcore punk, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to take center stage.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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5/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- relentless energy for workouts
- short bursts of intensity
- emotional urgency in every track
- social commentary for reflection
- cathartic release of frustration
Maybe skip if you
- prefer slower, melodic tunes
- seeking lengthy immersive experiences
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released on January 1, 2009, Veil of Ignorance marked Raised Fist's fifth studio album and followed their critically acclaimed record, Sound of the Republic. By this time, the band had established themselves as a significant force within the Swedish hardcore scene, continually evolving their sound while maintaining a fierce political stance.
- Stylistic neighbors
- H2O· Earth Crisis· Strike Anywhere
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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My Last Day
The climactic shift where the narrator contemplates finality amid chaos, directly confronting their mortality and choices.
This moment marks a stark transition from external conflict to intimate reflection, emphasizing vulnerability within a typically aggressive genre.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Friends and Traitors 3:13
- 2 They Can't Keep Us Down 2:08
- 3 Wounds 2:59
- 4 Afraid 2:10
- 5 Slipping Into Coma 2:38
- 6 City of Cold 3:14
- 7 Volcano Is Me 3:38
- 8 Disbelief 2:41
- 9 My Last Day 3:00
- 10 I Have to Pretend 2:37
- 11 Words and Phrases 4:24
- 12 Keeping It to Yourself 1:35
- 13 Never Negotiate 3:11
- 14 Out 4:00
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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