Chris Earl
Part of the metalcore scene when it wasn’t a dirty word and the people playing it actually knew what hardcore is, Walls Of Jericho blazed a fearsome trail from the late 90s. Lead by the vitriolic Candace Buckingham, her presence alone was enough to make the band stand out from the sea of male-fronted bands, but it was their music that left their biggest impact. A blend of thrash and taking a lot of cues from Hatebreed and Earth Crisis style metallic hardcore, their first few records are still regarded highly to this day, although they’re often wrongly left out of conversations for legacy bands. Over the last few years, the band have returned to the live circuit and, after ten years, have joined their elder statesmen peers in Darkest Hour and Unearth in putting out a new record. The question will have to be asked, however, if Walls Of Jericho‘s style of no bullshit, straight to the point metallic hardcore will still have a place in 2026, or will they simply be a band relying on their name and legacy? To put it as bluntly as their music, System Error: Humanity does enough to make them still a worthwhile name in the conversation.
One of Walls of Jericho’s biggest strengths was and continues to be Candace’s voice. Powerful, bellowing and above all, violent, her screams have long elevated the band above a certain level, as well as her socially driven lyrics. The band’s rhythm section also deserves a mention, as bassist Aaron Ruby and drummer Bobby VaLeu remain long serving members who remain the band’s strong spine. On a musical level, barring a few standout moments, Walls Of Jericho have never made music that stepped too far out of their creative confines, akin to a band like All Out War, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They do what they do well and, even amidst a sea of lineup changes over the years, have never failed to create moshable, lyrically vitriolic slabs of metallic hardcore.
‘True Til’ Death’ kicks off the record, and it’s a pace setter, but also an indicator for the following 45 minutes. Chunky, satisfying yet edgy production (courtesy of Kurt Ballou of Converge fame) helps things massively, and you’re stinkfacing almost instantly. ‘Beginning’ (amusingly the second track) is incredibly satisfying, ending with a breakdown belying their years in ferocity, yet one that could only have been made with years of craft honing. Fellow veteran with a distinctive voice, Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) shows up for a stellar guest performance on ‘Broken Mouths Can’t Speak’ that immediately marks it as a high point. Lyrically, the album is powerful (albeit a tad ham-fisted at times), and while it seems cliche to define the lyrics as “a call to arms”, that’s what they are. Candace is able to make you want to rise, to commit to the cause and to make the world a better place. This is particularly evident on ‘Agency’, which features some of the record’s most stirring moments.
At multiple points during the record you’ll find yourself headbanging or looking around to see if you’d incur any battery charges by swinging your arms around like a madman. While this is never a bad thing, it gets a little formulaic, and some songs may blend into each other, but that’s not the end of the world when they’re all pretty much shades of the same fun formula. The main exception to this is the second to last song, the hopeful ‘A Brighter Fire’, which is more akin to a ballad than anything else. However, you could easily cut two or three tracks from this, and it would still hit the same and not drag as much. 47 minutes for a metallic hardcore record is a lot, and it doesn’t always make the most of the time it has, but this may just be the band wanting to vent some creative pressure after a hiatus, which is never a bad thing.
It would have been easy for Walls Of Jericho to phone it in, rely on nostalgia and ride the wave of legacy bands to a few festival appearances and tours, but they’ve decided to come back with a bang. The combination of a fire reignited and actually having something to say helps them stand out, and if you’re a younger fan finding out about Walls Of Jericho recently, this is a brilliant time to catch them.