Comeback Kid

Comeback Kid are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that formed in 2001. Since then they've released two albums and maintained a relentless touring schedule, becoming one of the most well-known and celeberated bands the genre has had to offer in the past 20 years or so. Thus, I don't know how much of an introducion this band really needs, but to give you a super abbreviated version of their history, they started off as the side project of another band called Figure Four, recorded a demo in 2002 that lead to their debut in 2003. They took Comeback Kid on full-time, signed to began touring, ended up signing to Victory Records and released their sophomore album, Wake The Dead in 2005, produced by Bill Stevenson. Both of their first two albums are considered bona fida classics, but this one especially is highly regarded, and often considered one of the many high points 2000's melodic hardcore had to offer. The title track often finds its way into conversations regarding "greatest hardcore songs of all time", alongside the likes of "Firestorm" and "Start Today". As ridculous of a conversation that can be, this album and this song do deserve a mention.

Following Wake The Dead, the band underwent a major line-up shift with the departure of vocalist Scott Wade. Founding member and rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Andrew Neufield eventually takes over as the band's lead vocalist, with Casey Hjelmberg taking over his previous position for a couple years, eventually leaving in 2012. Stu Ross (of Misery Signals) joined in 2012, who is holding the rhythm guitar/backing vocals down for the band to this day. To back up a bit, with Neufield as vocalist they release Broadcasting... in 2007, not skipping a beat from their previous two albums, and actually garnering quite a bit of attention outside the hardcore scene in the process. Since then they've undergone a few other line-up changes, with Neufield and lead guitarist Jeremy Hiebert being the two remaining founding/consistent members. The band have consistently been releasing blood-pumping music, with a steady stream of albums and a handful of EP's suggesting they show no signs of slowing down. They're one of the biggest names in hardcore, chances are you've at least heard of them, and if not I implore you to listen to them yesterday. Admittedly they're not one of my personal favourites, and I never fell in love with them the way I did Modern Life Is War or American Nightmare, but again, those first few albums I can come back to anytime and remain impressed by. Since I didn't mention it specifically Symptoms + Cures is also as solid as they come, but beyond that I haven't really listened to anything enough to properly comment. However, going back to these first four records for this post has inspired me to give those later albums more tries. Wake up the dead. Enjoy.

Demo '02 (2002)

1. Without A Word

2. All In A Year

3. The Operative Word

4. Step Ahead

5. Playing The Part

6. Give And Take

Turn It Around (2003)

1. All In A Year

2. Give And Take

3. Die Tonight

4. Changing Face

5. Playing The Part

6. Always

7. Step Ahead

8. Operative Word

9. Biting Tongue

10. Something Less

11. Never Fade

12. Without A Word

13. Lorelei

Wake The Dead (2005)

1. False Idols Fall

2. My Other Side

3. Wake the Dead

4. The Trouble I Love

5. Talk Is Cheap

6. Partners In Crime

7. Our Distance

8. Bright Lights Keep Shining

9. Falling Apart

10. Losing Patience

11. Final Goodbye

Broadcasting... (2007)

1. Defeated

2. Broadcasting...

3. Hailing On Me

4. The Blackstone

5. Industry Standards

6. Give'r (Reprise)

7. One Left Satisfied

8. Come Around

9. In Case Of Fire

10. Market Demands

11. In/Tuition

Through The Noise (2008)

1. False Idols Fall

2. Die Tonight

3. Broadcasting...

4. Partners In Crime

5. Changing Face

6. Industry Standards

7. Defeated

8. All In A Year

9. Step Ahead

10. Talk Is Cheap

11. The Trouble I Love

12. Hailing On Me

13. Our Distance

14. Lorelei

15. Wake The Dead

16. Give'r (Reprise)

17. Final Goodbye

Note: Live Album, recorded in Leipzig, Germany on November 23, 2007

Symptoms + Cures (2010)

1. Do Yourself A Fvour

2. Crooked Floors

3. G.M. Vincent And I

4. Because Of All

5. The Concept Says

6. Balance

7. Symptoms + Cures

8. Manifest

9. Get Alone

10. Magnet Pull

11. Pull Back The Reins

Die Knowing (2014)

1. Die Knowing

2. Lower The Line

3. Wasted Arrows

4. Losing Sleep

5. Should Know Better

6. I Depend, I Control

7. Somewhere In This Miserable...

8. Beyond

9. Unconditional

10. Didn't Even Mind

11. Full Swing

12. Sink In

Rain City Sessions +1 (2015)

1. Wake The Dead

2. Should Know Better

3. All In A Year

4. Losing Sleep

5. The Concept Stays

6. Lower The Line

7. Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)

Outsider (2017)

1. Outsider

2. Surrender Control

3. Absolute (feat. Devin Townsend)

4. Hell Of A Scene

5. Somewhere, Somehow

6. Consumed The Vision (feat. Chris Cresswell)

7. I'll Be That

8. Outrage (Fresh Face, Stale Cause)

9. Blindspot

10. Livid, I'm Prime

11. Recover

12. Throw That Stone

13. Moment In Time (feat. Northcote)

Beds Are Burning (2018)

1. Beds Are Burning

2. Little Soldier

Heavy Steps (2022)

1. Heavy Steps

2. No Easy Way Out

3. Face The Fire

4. Crossed (feat. Joe Duplantier)

5. Everything Relates (feat. JJ)

6. Dead On The Fence

7. Shadow Of Doubt

8. True To Form

9. In Between

10. Standstill

11. Menacing Weight

Trouble EP (2024)

1. Trouble In The Winners Circle

2. Disruption

3. Chompin' At The Bit

4. Breaking And Bruised

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The Banner

The Banner are a five-piece hardcore band from Bloomfield, New Jersey that formed in 1999. Over the course of full-lengths and a few EP's and splits, the band have evolved a ton sonically, all while being one of the most consistent and perhaps even underappreciated hardcore acts of the past two decades or so. They've got an affinity for the macabre, which comes across in their lyrics and visuals. That darker sensibility makes this perfect for some colder-weather listening. 

If you're looking for a starting point, Each Breath Haunted is quintessential mid-2000's melodic hardcore listening, akin to bands like American Nightmare or Blacklisted. Its follow-up, Frailty is arguably their best, with a much heavier, almost hellish quality to it. Greying and the split with Old Wounds takes that metalcore sound and descends a step further into despair by incorporating elements of black metal. Whatever your poison may be, these are three incredible albums perfect for this time of year. I can't speak much on their earlier stuff as I'm not too familiar with it, but it's all here in all its glory if you're interested. Enjoy.

Posthumous (2003)

1. Outgunned

2. Rattlesnakes

3. The Screaming

4. Marked For Life

5. Trial By Fire

Your Murder Mixtape (2003)

1. Zombie Onslaught

2. Skies Go Black

3. Sometimes They Come Back

4. Die Fighting

5. Apocalypse

6. I Found Your Diary

7. Black Duct Tape

8. Red Devil

9. Night Of The Rope

10. September Song

11. Bloodlust (Ink & Dagger cover)

Dead Wrong Vs. The Banner (2004)

1. Dead Wrong - 8:46

2. Dead Wrong - Silent Screams

3. Dead Wrong - No Love

4. The Banner - No Surrender

5. The Banner - Black And Blue

6. The Banner - Sometimes They Come Back

Each Breath Haunted (2005)

1. Devilhawks

2. Venom And Hope

3. I'll Be Happy When You're Fucking Dead

4. An Allergy To Sun

5. Soverign Of The Black Pit

6. Black Hood

7. An Allergy To Silver

8. Hell On A Horse

9. Interlude

10. Muddweller

11. Coffin Nails

12. Tragedy

13. I Am Legend

Frailty (2008)

1. Welcome Fuckers

2. The Wolf

3. Leechbath

4. The Hellbound Heart

5. On Hooks

6. IWIWD

7. Sphrenia

8. Funerals

9. Dusk

10. I Am Legion

11. Ratflesh

12. The Father And The Wayward Son

Born To Ruin I: The Way Is Shut (2013)

1. Wolvesblood

2. Lilth

3. Negative Zone

4. Night (Zola Jesus cover)

Greying (2014)

1. The Dying Of The Light

2. Circle Of Salt

3. Crippling Despair

4. Sunlight

5. Unbaptized

6. A Quiet Corner

7. Send Me Down

8. VIII

9. She Upon The Black Wolf

10. Bones To Dust

11. Sunset

Only The Dead Know Jersey (2015)

1. The Banner - Witchburner

2. The Banner - Rat King

3. Old Wounds - The Secret Song At The Center Of The World

4. Old Wounds - It Can't Rain All The Time

Love Like Blood (2016)

1. Love Like Blood (Killing Joke cover)

2. Send Me Down (Heretics In The Lab Remix)

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Initiate

Initiate are a five-piece hardcore band from Orange County, California that formed in 2016. They put out a demo that same year, with was followed by a full-length in 2018 and an EP in 2020. I first heard them earlier this year, with the release of their sophomore album Cerebral Circus, which dropped back in April via Triple B Records. It's been on replay ever since, as this album packs an energetic punch, with a litany of catchy and memorable moments across its 10 tracks. The band lays their groundwork hardcore influence, somewhere between Carry On, No Warning, and the start-stop riffage of a NYHC band. 

That doesn't really do them any justice though, as what they bring to the people is this vibrant and melodic take on hardcore that sounds truly unique to them. I may be way off here, but there's a slight nod to 80's glam metal in the riffs and grooves (particularly the shredding on "No Burden Of Guilt"), which make this record near-impossible to sit still to. The vocals are absolutely searing, with anthemic lyrics that rattle around in your brain while after the record's over. They're also not afraid to pull in more melodic elements head-on, with the soaring hook on "The Surface", the dreamy guitar bit on "Amend", and the Cranberries-esque closer "Transparency", which fully embraces the melodic qualities hinted at in the previous tracks. Suffice to say, this is one of my favourite hardcore releases in recent years and I highly suggest checking this out if you haven't already. Enjoy.

Demo 2016 (2016)

1. Intro

2. Idle

3. What's Mine

4. Step Down

5. No Cost

Before Long... (2018)

1. Begin Again

2. Won't Give In

3. Gilded

4. False Perception

5. Nothing More

6. Nasty Woman

7. Before Long

8. At Least

9. To My Friends

Lavender (2020)

1. Intro II

2. Lavender

3. Myopia

4. What You Sow

5. Beverly

6. One In The Same

Cerebral Circus (2023)

1. Waste Your Life

2. Alone At The Bottom

3. Fool

4. Amend

5. Interlude

6. Fire Starter

7. Your Own Means

8. The Surface

9. No Burden of Guilt

10. Transparency

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Praise

Photo by: Farrah Skeiky

Praise are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Baltimore, Maryland that formed in 2009. Thus far, they've released three full-lengths and a handful of EP's, mostly through React! Records and their latest LP through Revelation. I just have to say, I have been sorely missing on this band for years now. This is so up my alley that I'm kicking myself for not having checked them out sooner. In the most basic terms, they pay homage to the huge, bright distorted and chorus-laden work of Hüsker Dü with heavy influence from DC acts such as Embrace, Dag Nasty and One Last Wish that first incorporated melodic elements into hardcore. It's an incredible blend that still manages to sound truly modern, with some top-tier musicianship to boot. That's unsurprising, given that this band includes members of Turnstile, Angel Du$t, Mindset, Give, and a ton of other incredible projects. I cannot recommend this enough, I highly, highly suggest checking it out if you're as late to the punch on this as I am. Enjoy.

Growing. Changing. Healing. (2010)

1. Caught In A Cycle

2. I Believe

3. Peace Is The Solution

4. Healing

Two Songs (2011)

1. Afraid To Ask

2. Autumn

Lights Went Out (2014)

1. Accept

2.Safe Place

3. Lights Went Out

4. To Be Me

5. Reach Deep

6. Write It Down

7. Give Me The Pain

8. Afraid To Ask

9. Restless Minds

10. Weight

Leave It All Behind (2016)

1. Makes No Sense

2. Crash Into My Life

3. Settle Down

4. Leave It All Behind

5. Song For You

6. Walk To The Edge

7. We All Fall Down

America's Hardcore Volume 4 (2017)

3. Return To Life

All In A Dream (2022)

1. All In A Dream

2. Return To Life

3. Hotline To Memory

4. Suddenly Human

5. Peace Of Mine

6. Limited Sense Of Possibility

7. Eyes In The Dark

8. Life Unknown

9. Keep Hanging On

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Another Breath

Another Breath were a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Fulton, New York that were around from 2003 to 2011, with a one-off reunion show occurring in 2018. Across three releases (and a demo that I'm missing) the band brought vigor and earnestness to their tried-and-true sound, which incorporated anthemic vocals and an instrumental energy that makes it hard to sit still. If you're familiar with the melodic hardcore of the 2000's, this band will be undeniable to you. This may be way off, but they sort of sit somewhere between Kid Dynamite and American Nightmare. Not Now, Not Ever is my personal favourite from them, so that's probably the best jumping off point (literally and figuratively). Enjoy. 

Not Now, Not Ever (2004)

1. Racing A Fading Image

2. Token

3. Rotting

4. Clio

5. Passing The Torch

6. Surfacing

7. 17 Minutes

8. Truth In The Television

Mill City (2006)

1. Jailbreak

2. Marla

3. A Tragic Hero

4. Coward

5. Sincerity

6. I'm Pro-You-Shutting-The-Fuck-Up

7. Diesel And Gunpowder

8. Organized Crime

9. Spineless

10. Orange

11. Coming Home

12. Off With Your Head

13. Anchors

14. Walls Without Windows

15. Catharsis (The Conclusion)

The God Complex (2009)

1. No God

2. Sin Eater

3. Nausea

4. I Want To Live

5. The God Complex

6. Belly Of A Whale

7. Dogtown

8. Weight

9. Mayko

10. I Am The Messiah

11. Eleventh Hour

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Be Well

Be Well are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Baltimore, Maryland that formed in 2019. This project was founded by vocalist  Brian McTernan, who was previously best known as a member of the legendary Battery and as a producer, working with bands including Thrice, Hot Water Music, Bane, and a ton more. Rounding out the line-up of Be Well are fellow hardcore veterans, including bassist Aaron Dalbec (Bane, Converge), guitarist Mike Schleibaum (Darkest Hour), guitarist Peter Trsouras (Fairweather), and drummer Shane Johnson (Fairweather). Based on the pedigree of their previous work, you can anticipate the excellence of Be Well right out the gate. Though certainly rooted in hardcore energy, this band's sound is more melodic and introspective, blending the sounds of all previous acts mentioned into more matured and nuanced instrumentals and lyricism that benefits from its hindsight perspective. Highly recommended, enjoy.

The Weight And The Cost (2020)

1. Meaningless Measures

2. Magic

3. Strength For Breath

4. Tiny Little Pieces

5. Morning Light

6. The Weight And The Cost

7. Each Passing Day

8. Frozen

9. Aperture

10. Longing

11. Confessional

Hello Sun (2022)

1. Treadless

2. I'll Leave You With This

3. An Endless Loop

4. Hello Sun

5. Only One Wish

6. In the Shadow Of Who You Thought I Was

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Aviator

Aviator are a five-piece post-hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts that formed in 2009. They were incredibly prolific for nearly a decade, putting out a ton of releases alongside two fantastic full-lengths, both via No Sleep Records. In recent years they haven't been active, though they haven't officially disbanded. It is a massive failure on my part to have left this band slip through the cracks for so many years now, as their sound is right up this blog's alley, and they were most active in its heyday. This band blends the more technical, rhythmic and melodically meandering aspects of post-hardcore acts with the raw, visceral heart-on-your-sleeve delivery of melodic hardcore. They draw influence from classics such as At The Drive-In, mewithoutYou, Bear vs. Shark and Piebald (made clear in their choice of covers), which adds a wide array of vocal and instrumental dynamics to their hardcore-influenced base. If you're a fan of bands like Touché Amoré, Defeater, La Dispute, Caravels, More Than Life, Goodtime Boys, Octaves, and so many more that were kicking around in the early 2010's, Aviator absolutely has to be on your radar. It's not a direct comparison in terms of sound, but in terms of modern elevation and emotional resonance. Enjoy.

Demo (2010)

1. Second Chances

2. Winter Blues

3. Know More

4. Cutting Ties

5. Grace

My Fictions/Aviator (2010)

1. My Fictions - Kept Myself Awake

2. My Fictions - Dreamt Myself An Architect Built Myself Some Walls

3. Aviator - I'm Sick Of Standing In The Same Place

4. Aviator - The Definition Of A Dead End

I'm Not The Lonely One (2011)

1. Acceptance Is Denial

2. Denial Is Despondency

3. Despondency Is Unhappiness

4. Unhappiness Is Loneliness

5. I'm Not The Lonely One

Aviator/Spirit Fangs (2012)

1. Aviator - A Thousand Monkeys

2. Aviator - A Thousand Typewriters

3. Spirit Fangs - Hand Over Heart

4. Spirit Fangs - Bloodrivers

January MMXIII (2013)

1. Solemn Mountain (Live)

2. A Thousand Typewriters (Live)

3. Forms (Les feuilles mortes) (Live)

4. A Thousand Monkeys (Live)

5. I'm Sick Of Standing In The Same Place (Live)

6. Harvest Words (Live)

Billy Pilgrim Has Come Unstuck In Time (2013)

1. Billy Pilgrim Has Come Unstuck In Time

Covers (2013)

1. Sleepwalk Capsules (At The Drive-In cover)

2. They Don't Understand Us At The Academy (Piebald cover)

3. Entrance Of The Elected (Bear vs. Shark cover)

4. Be Here Now (As Tall As Lions cover)

5. Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up (LCD Soundsystem cover)

Native Wildlife/Glass Lungs/Killing Thing/Aviator (2014)

1. Native Wildlife - Most Accidents Happen Close To Home

2. Glass Lungs - Tiltawhirl

3. Killing Thing - Weathered

4. Aviator - So I Say To Her, I Say This (I Says)

Head In The Clouds, Hands In The Dirt (2014)

1. Pipe Dreams

2. Weathervane

3. There Was A Light (It Went Out)

4. Dig Your Own Grave And Save

5. Forms (les feuilles mortes)

6. I Hold Myself In Contempt

7. Bipolar Vortex

8. Head Noise

9. ...But I Won't Be There

10. Fever Dreams

[Untitled] (Demo) (2014)

1. [Untitled] (Demo)

High Hopes (2015)

1. High Hopes

Heaven's Gate b/w Death's Door (2017)

1. Heaven's Gate

2. Death's Door

Loneliness Leaves The Light On For Me (2017)

1. I Wanna Make Movies, Heather

2. Nasonov Pheromone

3. Ad Nauseam

4. I Wouldn't Leave Here If You Paid Me

5. Looks Deep Enough From Here

6. End Scene

7. One Year Warranty

8. I Wouldn't Live There If You Paid Me

9. Safety Coffin

10. Does It Make A Sound?

Bummer Summer: Compilation 2018 (2018)

11. Introvertebrate

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