"First Came The Law," the freshman album of Pittsburgh group Once Nothing, was painstakingly crafted — with good reason.
Once Nothing's hard work has paid off. Initially released in January 2007, "First Came The Law" is rapidly growing in respect and popularity among fans of the genre.
Once Nothing is a five-piece hard-core/metal band, featuring Todd Lowry on vocals, Josh Branas and Geoff Jenkins on guitar, Steve Lucarelli on bass and Giuseppe Capolupo on drums.
As far as style goes, Once Nothing refers to itself as "blue-collar metal," part of the growing Southern hard core movement that has produced bands such as The Showdown and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. And while some argue Once Nothing's status as true Southern hard-core, the band has gathered a large following among the genre's fans — quite a feat for a band from Pittsburgh.
Throughout the album, Lowry displays an impressive ability to make the most guttural roars and screeching screams — sounds that tear through your eardrums and make you wonder just how long his vocal cords will last.
Where Once Nothing really shines, however, is in the band's powerful and catchy guitar riffs, where you can hear the "Southern" side of its music bleeding through the predictably heavy distortion.
The album's fifth track, "The Dust Of A Town," in particular, showcases this aspect.
And while the drumming doesn't stray far from what one would expect of a hard-core album (heavy double bass, constant crashing cymbal work), it is steady and complements the pulsing bass lines.
In addition to 10 Southern hard core-style songs, "First Came The Law" holds an acoustic ballad and an instrumental piece, titled, respectively, "My Sweet Medusa" and " … And Then Came Grace." The former features harmonica work that is unimpressive, to say the least.
Lyrically, it seems that Once Nothing is trying to hide the fact that lyricist Lowry is not exactly a poet behind metaphorical phrases that fail to truly say anything. The songs follow the long title trend started by accomplished metal-core band Norma Jean but hold unmemorable lines and pathetic wordplay.
But let's be honest — this is a hard-core album, not an Allen Ginsberg poetry reading. It accomplishes its goal of creating powerful and frequently innovative music that fans of the genre are sure to appreciate.
Once Nothing is also known as an excellent band to see live — good news for local fans, because the band is booked to play an all-ages show at the Chameleon Club, Lancaster, on Sunday. The show begins at 6 p.m.
Be sure to give "First Came The Law" a listen, and don't miss the opportunity to hear one of the most exciting bands of the Southern hard-core movement live.
FYI
WHAT: Once Nothing, with This or the Apocalypse, Shot to Pieces, The Devil & Tom Walker, Ventriloquist & Daniel Black Daniel
WHERE: Chameleon Club, 223 N. Water St., Lancaster
WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday
COST: $11 in advance; $13 at door
INFO: www.chameleonclub.net
Tyler Kulfan is a junior at Ephrata High School and the arts and entertainment editor of the school's newspaper, Mountaineer.Contact him at YourLife@LNPnews.com. 
