Hardcore has been a rather wavering genre in recent years. I still love it, but at the end of the day, the harsh truth lies in a plethora of modern hardcore bands whom lack creativity, vision, and originality. The good news is that Angel Du$t and a good number of other bands (who have had fantastic 2016 releases) are not a part of that plethora. Hailing from Baltimore, Angel Du$t are a -piece hardcore band featuring members of notable Baltimore hardcore acts Trapped Under Ice, Turnstile. Praise (EP review to come very soon), and Mindset. The band this year self-released their sophomore LP, "Rock the Fuck on Forever," on May 20th via Pop Wig Records, the label's first release. Pop Wig is owned and operated by the band's vocalist Justice Tripp, drummer Daniel Fang, and fellow band mate to both via Trapped Under Ice and Turnstile, Brendan Yates. If you would like more information regarding the label, I highly recommend reading this article.
If you've never listened to Angel Du$t, the first thing you should know is that, above all things, they are weird. They aren't trying to adhere to any standard set of musical rules that dictate what hardcore is or is not and, to many, that's what good hardcore has always been about. "Rock the Fuck on Forever" clocks out at 21 minutes, which is incredibly short for a 13 track LP. The longest track on the entire record, "Twist N Shout," is 2 minutes and 8 seconds in length, while the shortest, "Cool Inside You," is a 42 second dreamy interlude track. That's just how Angel Du$t rolls, no bullshit, no filler, just 13 quick little jams and they're out of your hair whether you want them to be or not.
One of the first things I noticed when I put on "Rock the Fuck on Forever" was the band was not trying to make a record that was as aggressive as their debut full length, "A.D." This is by no means a bad thing. I feel like there was an effort made for Justice Tripp to sing more on "Rock the Fuck on Forever" than he did on "A.D." which primarily contained his shouting voice and was just an overall more aggressive record. On tracks like "Stay" and "Upside Down," listeners really see a softer side to the band but that doesn't mean there is an absence of aggressive tracks on this record. Tracks such as "Rectify" and "Toxic Boombox" are the perfect shout-along bangers any "A.D." era Angel Du$t fan would be longing for on a new record.
Like many fans of modern alternative music, everytime I hear that Will Yip had something to do with a record, I'll give it a listen regardless of whether or not I've heard of the band. If you're not familiar with who Will is, you probably actually are and just don't know it yet because, chances are, if you're reading this he probably produced one of your favorite records. His skills with production and songwriting are unparalleled and that's apparent with just a quick glance at the work that has come out of Studio 4. Needless to say, when I heard Angel Du$t would be recording their sophomore LP at Studio 4, I was beyond stoked to hear the final product and now that I have heard it, I can wholeheartedly say that this LP lives up to the Studio 4/Will Yip standard that many of us have come to know and love.
Some of my favorite aspects of "Rock the Fuck on Forever" is embedded in little things that unquestionably set Angel Du$t apart from the herd. First off, the album title. Best album title of the past decade, hands down. Secondly, the saxophone solo that comes in during the closer to the album "Stranger Things" is an absolute ripper. It kind of reminded me of that unmistakable trumpet intro at the beginning of New Direction by Gorilla Biscuits. Overall, this record was just as solid as I expected it to be and I'm genuinely happy that bands are starting to become more comfortable with experimenting with what can be considered Hardcore punk. To me, the appeal of the record is more so the statement it makes to the people who still have their finger on the pulse of the genre, even though the record rips. My friends...rock the fuck on forever!
Final Score: 8/10
I'll include an album stream below. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day.
-Nights Off
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