So, here we have it. The last album from one of the two bands that started it all in Norway. Except Selfmindead, Hardcore punk/Post-Hardcore weren't really big in Scandinavia before JR Ewing and Amulet stepped things up for real in dark back alleys of the Norwegian capital. These bands have single-handedly spawned what is now a very promising, young and sparkling post-hardcore/punk scene that contains bands such as Jeroan Drive, Snöras, Social Suicide and Death is not Glamorous among others. The Norwegian hardcore/punk scene exploded in the mid-nineties, with Amulet and JR Ewing surviving the blasting wave and maintaining the interest among young and hopefuls, delivering perfect, face-slapping music until the mid-00's. The sad and hurtful truth though is that the bands that kept the scene alive and kicking for many years dropped dead one after another. First Refused, then after a couple of years Orchid turned in before JR Ewing and Amulet stopped kicking in respectively 2006 and 2007, and no-one have managed to live up to these bands. Yet.

If you put in their debut Calling in Dead or The Perfect Drama you'll experience blazing fast, blasting, violent and vicious screamo that will cause a painful jaw-drop. This however, and Ride Paranoia for that matter, is much more geared towards the melodic, catchy and spiced up rhythms you'd hear bunches of on Refused's The Shape of the Punk to Come. In other words, lots of sing-along choruses, wild yet simple, frantic riffing that aren't to hard to get into, JR Ewing also rely heavily on jangly melodies that easily draws my thoughts towards the clean sound of later At the Drive-in. Not so much the high-pitched vocals, but the interesting, straight-forward, yet complex riff-dueling layered with atmospheric touches in every note. Andreas Tylden sounds very different from earlier, and has an almost pop/punkish approach on some songs here. However, the leap from hardcore to post-hardcore haven't damaged the group nor this album at all, as this my be one of the most well-composed newer post-hardcore albums I've heard that, even though it tends to be poppy at times, never loses its classic energy that is extremely distinct on earlier albums. As the repetitive riffs of Change is Nothing (Everything Is) kicks in, as they break down and Tylden grabs your throat, you're hooked. Whether you like it or not, every single track on the album will grab you in the same way, claiming your undying attention until the end of Big Exit.

Maelstrom offers a nice amount of variation, with songs like the poppy yet fucking brilliant guitar-driven Pitch Black Blonde or Floodlight for the weak at heart, the energetic yet not too violent Here I Vanish or For We Are Dead for the one's who appreciate energy without violence. The real gems for yours truly, and everyone else looking to get a beating lies mainly in the furious I'm Sorry, You're Sorry, We're All Sorry. If you want more of that, you'd be better off checking out Ride Paranoia or their earlier, fiery albums. For excellent composition, variation, compelling riffs and rhythms, fist-pumping melodies, and pure fucking energy all in one explosive package, you should go get Maelstrom. Especially if slightly modernized post-hardcore is your thing. Highly recommended!