When they properly hit the scene in the late 90s/early 00s, Hail Mary very much felt like the natural next step in the evolution of their New
York area sound/scene to me, channelling the likes of Born Against and
Eucharist, albeit with their own distinct and updated twist. I seem to remember the band expressing surprise at these comparisons in interviews at the time, but whether that was a classic case of musicians focussing on different elements in their music than their audience or a bunch of punks just not wanting to be perceived as copying someone else I don't know. The fact they released this LP on Born Against's Sam McPheeters's Vermiform records, including artwork done by him, probably didn't help. Whatever the case, most reviewers appeared to make the same connection I just did above, but like me also never saw them as a mere copycat. This felt like a natural progression, and after well over a decade it still packs the same fresh punch it did when the needle first hit the grooves. Despite releasing a string of seriously raging records and featuring members of, at the time well-known, bands like Conniption, Monster X, Dropdead and Limp Wrist, Hail Mary still appear to be somewhat overlooked. Given what a total monster this lp is, definitely something to rectify quickly in case you're one of the people doing the overlooking...
