by Chris True   A vastly looser affair than their debut album, Hard Volume is the first glimpse of what Rollins Band would become with 1992's The End of Silence. The songs here are based more on the groove than they are on Life Time. The opener, "Hard," may seem a little over the top lyrically, but it has a swagger unmatched in the Rollins Band's catalog. This is also the first Rollins release to showcase both a more atmospheric approach ("Love Song"), and the Andrew Weiss bass sound that was made famous on End of Silence. The 1999 Buddha re-release features clearer sound (Rollins remastered the reissues himself) and outtakes and demos from the sessions, making it a great buy for enthusiasts and a solid choice for casual fans as well.