California's Uphill Battle storms heavy music's elite on their self-titled Relapse debut. Combining Discordance Axis' harsh take on grindcore, Marduk's speed and severity, and a vicious hardcore sense of tension akin to Converge, Uphill Battle's hectic riffing, strafing percussive assault and tortured vocals bleed conviction. Uphill Battle is one of the scene's brightest hopefuls.