Since forming in 2002, Philadelphia'sPaint It Black have rewritten therules of hardcore punk with eachnew release. Across three full-lengthalbums and three 7' EPs, the four-piece of vocalist Dan Yemin, bassistAndy Nelson, guitarist Josh Agran,and drummer Jared Shavelsonhave been crafting concise, incisivestatements that meld hardcore's furywith a nuanced lyrical perspective. OnFamine, the band's upcoming EP onRevelation Records, Paint It Blackshows all sides of itself, returning asinspired-and inspiring-as they werea decade ago.Famine is the product of years ofplotting, planning, and prepping, withthe goal of making the most impactfulstatement possible. In many ways,Famine is a record about the blurringbetween history and mythology,especially as it pertains to the currentmoment in America. On Famine,Yemin explores the stories we grewup being told-the truths, the lies,and everything in between. Yemin'svocals, as charged as ever, sound like adecade's worth of frustration has finallyboiled over, allowing him to dissectthe rose-colored tellings of Americanhistory with surgical precision. Similarto this exploratory lyrical approach,the music on Famine creates richertextures out of pieces rarely foundon hardcore punk albums, as distinctstruts shift between pummeling piecesand melodic touches in ways thatcontinually take the listener by surprise.Throughout the eight songs that makeup Famine, Paint It Black provesthat the most potent hardcore punkreleases are ones that come from aspace of vulnerability, honesty, andauthenticity. It's what makes eachmoment on Famine feel vibrant andvital, just like Paint It Black hasalways done.TRACK LISTSIDE
