Reviewed by Alex Figgis

Amidst a minority genre of the hard-core music scene, .Rod Laver (that's dot, followed by the name of Australia's famed tennis champion) have caused quite a stir of anticipation with their particular take on rap-core. Raw and passionately executed at the hands of proficient musicians, 'Essence Of The Game' sees .Rod Laver relentlessly proclaim the Gospel of Christ to a lost generation; unashamedly tackling such topics as racism, broken relationships, homicide and pride set to a compelling score of funk tinged crunching hard-core riffs. Self produced, the band's debut release has a great indie vibe throughout, with enough unpredictability to be engaging, without losing sight of their musical identity. The mix has been done sufficiently well to help realise the complex arrangements Ryan (guitar), Chris (bass), Joe (drums) and Rudy (vocals) come up with, where the band's dynamics are not only brought to the surface, but also sustained throughout. 'Essence...' is a fine example of a particular genre of rock music, worthy of exploration.

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