Summer of Wolves

If mathcore pioneers Botch had not quit, but instead tightened their attack, gotten better production, and turned more conservative, they might have become the Minor Times. This Pennsylvania quintet has Botch pegged to a T — tense, angular riffs with lurching accents, roaring vocals, and boisterous gang backups. The perfection of this facsimile is astounding. However, the Minor Times stand out when they depart from this template. "+++" widens to an anthem, sailing starry-eyed melodies over emotive chords. Pulsating, proggy figures propel "This Is a Fine Life You've Made for Yourself." "Disappear Here" tucks in its elbows for straightforward, pogo-inducing punk. A slow, mighty stomp, "Fire Spitter" bears down with fearsome focus. The highlight is album centerpiece "This Is the Blues." After a dramatic, quasi-industrial intro, it crashes into shuddering dissonance — then yields to moody electric keys, and, of all things, a "Hey Jude"-style chorus rideout. It's thrilling, and Botch wouldn't have done it. Sadly, the Minor Times, too, won't do it anymore, as they called it quits after this record.