Salem is not a new band. Born from the ashes of As Friends Rust, one of Florida hardcore finest band, Salem release their debut EP on Fiddler, “Love It Or Leave Me”, a record featuring five good examples of rock. Not hardcore, not emo, just rock. The songs played by the band are catchy, and at the same time dark, intense and filled with passion. With influences ranging from U2 to The Cure to The Polices, Salem has got a great ability in putting melodies at the first place. “Smoke And Mirrors” and “Cancel The Sun” are the best tracks, filled with rock riffs that are some of the finest I ever heard. Oh wait a moment, the guitar riff of “Cancel The Sun”, one of the finest rock riff I truly ever heard played by a guitar, is the same of the As Friends Rust song “Won”, taken from AFR masterpiece last full length, “Won”. Anyway, the EP delivers some great rock music, an example for all the bands to come: I am sure in a few years we’ll look back to this EP and say this has been the milestone of a new rock generation.