\"Against the Grain were all-but destined to play this kind of music. After all, this four-piece hails from Detroit rock city. This influence helps Cheated Death become a lot of rock things at once. Fortunately, they wear these all of hats convincingly, albeit with a little more pep in their step. Whether it’s bassist Chris Nowak’s vocal similarities to a mid-register, nearly-hoarse David Lee Roth (“High Heeled Woman”, “Going Down Fast”) or a throaty version of Valient Himself (“Rolling Stone”), the twin-guitar maneuverability that resembles Thin Lizzy and Alice Cooper, the blistering paces of Motörhead and Zeke (“Sacrifice”), or the raucous energy and grit of MC5 and Guns N’ Roses (“Enoughs Not Enough”) – it’s obvious they’re well-versed and have the chops to rip with the best of ‘em. Busting out of the gate with the title track, they make it known that they don’t like to waste time. They plow through some shifty, foot shufflin’ segments, rambling geets accompanied by spitfire vocal delivery, a change-up chorus, and zippy leads within the first minute. It’s a satisfying ride: quick, smart, and wild. They’re frequently playing in the Tee Pee Records-neighborhood of gnarly, ripping rock, akin to acts like Lecherous Gaze or The Atomic Bitchwax, replete with a command of adrenaline-pumping, raw punk energy. With the majority of the album’s tracks in the two-to-four-minute range, they make the absolute most of each moment, tearing through most of the record at fervent will.\"
