Review: Ingrown – Idaho
Ingrown’s “Idaho” is a blistering statement: they channel raw fury, technical intensity, and a fierce sense of place into eleven tracks that don’t waste a second. Clocking in at just 18 minutes, the album moves like a freight train on the edge of derailment: pummelling, visceral, unexpectedly thoughtful in where it lets in texture or narrative.
From the opener “Bullet” you’re hit with speed, aggression and a visceral edge that shows the band sharpening their blade. Drums and guitar travail switch between rat-tailed thrash riffs and powerviolence blasts, with occasional groove breaks that let you breathe just long enough to brace for the next assault. “Cold Steel” and “Enemy” show the band really understanding how to build tension, drop weight, then crescendo back into chaos without feeling repetitive. Vocals are raw and commanding, spitting fire and bark, cutting through the instrumentation, never letting you forget there’s anger here that’s earned.
Fans of metallic hardcore will appreciate the production: Andy Nelson captures this brutal duality well, with clarity in the mix so you hear every snap of snare, every buzz of the bass, every slash of riff, yet without washing out the grime that gives this its grit. The rhythm section supports the chaos with tightness, and even in the blitzkrieg moments there’s precision. The closing “Idaho,” with acoustic and traditional instrumentation blended into the feedback and thunder, is a surprising and satisfying coda, reminding that Ingrown care not only about intensity but identity, roots, home.
With so much happening at high velocity, some songs blur into one another; distinct hooks or memorable melodies are rare, and some of the lyrical themes veer toward hardcore tropes of survival, community, self-reliance without doing much to twist them or surprise you. A few moments could use more breathing room – not every song needs to hit you at full volume all the time.
Overall “Idaho” is Ingrown’s strongest record yet, balancing brutal intensity with moments of introspection and real character. If you want hardcore that’s not just loud but alive, not just aggressive but with scars and roots, this delivers.
