You've got to love a straight-up hardcore band. The Blind Hole is Atlanta natives Dead in the Dirt's first full-length, yet it clocks in at less than 24 minutes - shorter than most other bands' EPs. However, 'short' doesn't mean 'worse'. The Blind Hole's 22 tracks constitute a finely-crafted slice of hardcore punk.

Don't expect experimental innovation from this album: with most songs clocking in around the minute mark, there's not a lot of room for going off the beaten track. Instead, Dead in the Dirt pack in frenetic drumming, down tuned riffage and the occasional groove into a repeated barrage of short sharp blasts. It's the musical equivalent of smacking down 15 espresso shots in a row, and the end result is the same - you need to move.

In fact, you could do worse than approach The Blind Hole as if you were at a hardcore gig, as it's structured much the same way. It kicks off full bore to get the moshpit going, gives you a few perfectly judged breathers to catch your breath in the middle, then builds to a mighty crescendo at the end.

The album's brevity is its strength here: much longer, and you risk burning out or blunting the intensity of the riffage. Any shorter, and it risks leaving you unsated. As it is, The Blind Hole is just right. So pack away the best china, invite some friends over and slam dance around the living room, because you'll damn well want to after listening to this.