Every once in a while the hype factory that is Youth Attack Records puts out a genuinely exciting record. The debut LP from Denver’s Civilized is just such a beast. Following up a Youth Attack released 7” and a handful of tapes half a decade ago, Civilized has honed their sound into something stronger and more ferocious. Tracks are ugly and raw while still sounding polished and feed off of the unrelenting drum assault. Civilized has made a record sounding like a mixture of Infest at their most hardcore, NYHC at its most abrasive, and the cadre of Youth Attack bands at their least black-metal-lite (maybe something like The Repos circa Hearts And Heads Explode?) – in other words, Chopping Block is a killer album firing on all cylinders that is full of mosh parts and riffs but holds enough energy to keep your interest once the dust (and blood) settles.