First Day Back

First Day Back are a five-piece emo/indie band from Santa Cruz, California who released their debut LP earlier this year, Forward. This is the good stuff right here; harkening back to an era of midwest emo dominated by the likes of Cap'n Jazz, Braid, Penfold, Rainer Maria, and The Jazz June without sounding like an exact replica of any of them. First Day Back favour bright, crisp guitar tones that wallow in melancholic chords and arpeggios over gloriously strained vocals, with the occasional use of a harmonica or violin that adds a truly unique dynamic layer to their already-tight and sundry sound. This album offers nine unique tracks that ebb and flow as one of the year's stand-out emo releases, so naturally I highly, highly recommend giving it a listen. Enjoy.

Forward (2025)

1. Sure, Ok

2. Upstairs (212)

3. Moving Out

4. Us

5. Gone On

6. Lines

7. Wait, Do You Hear That?

8. Paint

9. Twelve Mile Train Tracks

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Die, Emperor! Die!

Die, Emperor! Die! were a two-piece emo/screamo band from Houston, Texas that were active from approximately 2002 to 2005. In that time, the duo recorded a handful of songs split across a series of releases, most notably incredible splits with Toru Okada and Burned Out Bright, with their swan-song appearing on The Microwave Says To The Pacemaker compilation alongside the likes of Kodan Armada and La Quiete. The band played very melancholic, lo-fi, screamo with the simple pairing of guitar and drums, with visceral, strained vocals and a twangy, almost twinkly-inflected guitar. It's a sound that seems way more popular now than it was than in its blend of screamo and emo with an almost bedroom-sensibility. Their members went on to play in the likes of Punkin Pie and Treetops. Enjoy.

Demo (2002)

1. Mayday

2. December Stars Could Never Match Your Eyes

3. Another City For A Different Life

4. ...And Night's Trees Stood Up

Toru Okada/Die, Emperor! Die! (2003)

1. Toru Okada - Our Great Cities

2. Die, Emperor! Die! - Dear Friend (Never Give Up)

Die, Emperor! Die!/Burned Out Bright (2003)

1. Die, Emperor! Die! - Six Feet Beneath My Heart

2. Burned Out Bright - Gold Metal For Charlie

Acoustic (2003)

1. Another City For A Different Life

2. Julias Wish

3. Telephone Road

4. Long Gone Lonesome Blues

5. For Want Of (Rites of Spring cover)

6. Mayday

7. Filler (Minor Threat cover)

8. Postscript

9. Goodnight Irene (Lead Belly cover)

Live At Burned Out Bright's Last Show [Oct. 25, 2003] (2003)

1. Intro

2. December Stars

3. Interlude 1

4. Rachel, I'm A Wretched Idealist

5. Interlude 2

6. Filler (Minor Threat cover)

7. Postscript

8. Interlude 3

9. Mayday, Misunderstandings and Promises Not Kept

10. Six Feet Beneath My Heart

11. Goodnight Irene, Goodnight (Lead Belly cover)

The Microwave Says To The Pacemaker (2004)

8. Die, Emperor! Die! - The Way She Disappeared into the Vanishing Rows of Street Lights, Headup, Singing to the Night Sky

Burned Out Bright

Burned Out Bright were a three-piece hardcore/emo band from Houston, Texas that were active approximately from 2000 to 2003. They harnessed a handful of styles in their short tenure together, mixing the skippy, noodly elements of emo with the rise-and-fall and syncopated dynamics of post-hardcore, all conveyed through the passionate, raw delivery of screamo with interspersed sung/screamed vocals. Their output was minimal but certainly impactful, with a split, a posthumous EP, their final live set, and a demo. Members of this band went on to form Fire Team Charlie (highly recommended) and The Walls You've Built. Enjoy.

Demo (2003)

1. The Coin Lied

2. In Memory

3. Rise Over Run

4. We Awake Disheartened

Die, Emperor! Die!/Burned Out Bright (2003)

1. Die, Emperor! Die! - Six Feet Beneath My Heart

2. Burned Out Bright - Gold Metal For Charlie

10+25+03 The End. (2003)

1. Rise Over Run

2. Gold Medal For Charlie

3. Untitled

4. The Coin Lied

5. In Memory

6. This Isn't The Tenka-Ichi-Budokai (I Hate Myself cover)

7. We Awake Disheartened

Burned Out Bright (2004)

1. Crossing The Fine Line

2. Unit: 01

3. Finally At Ease

4. Sunrise, And The Day To Come

5. House Of Dust

Dead Swans

Dead Swans were a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Brighton, England that were active from 2006 to 2013, with a few reunion shows played in 2016. Since then they're hasn't been any activity that I'm aware of, though vocalist Nick Worthington is currently active with Still In Love, who just released their first LP this year (which also just got featured here). When I was working on that, I realized the major oversight on my part that Dead Swans had yet to make it on here. In all honesty, they're a band I never listened to a ton but certainly enjoyed, as they were one of the premier "melodic hardcore" bands that bridged the 2000's and 2010's (no pun intended, as they were also a Bridge Nine band). They crafted a dark and raw pummelling brand of hardcore that you could say is in a similar vein as American Nightmare, Carry On, and More Than Life, but they're a distinct entity to hold their own, and Nick's scorching vocal delivery and poetic lyricism certainly hold their weight. They're also great with the gang vocals, and who doesn't love a good gang vocal? Anyway, if you're new to this band they're well worth your time, Sleepwalkers is the obvious starting point as its their only LP. Enjoy.

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Demo (2007)

1. Tin Heart

2. Preferring The Worst

Southern Blue (2007)

1. Into Dust

2. Lines Of Separation

3. Dead Until Dark

4. 20/07/07

5. The Hanging Sun

Architects/Dead Swans (2008)

1. Architects - We're All Alone

2. Architects - Broken Clocks

3. Dead Swans - In The Half Light

4. Dead Swans - Swallow

It's Starting (2009)

1. Thinking Of You

2. Ivy Archway

3. Fix Me (Black Flag cover)

4. When You Sleep (My Bloody Valentine cover)

Sleepwalkers (2009)

1. Thinking Of You

2. Ascension

3. Ivy Archway

4. Swallow

5. So Far You've Only Made Things Worse

6. 20.07.07

7. Winter Overture

8. Hide And Seek

9. ...And It Seemed So Bright

10. Montpellier To Home

11. Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

12. Tent City

Anxiety And Everything Else (2012)

1. I've Been Trying To Leave

2. Summer Of Hate

3. Dead Until Dark

4. Keep Them Shut

5. Since Day One

6. You Can Only Blame Yourself

7. Southern Blue

Before And Through (2016)

1. Tin Heart (Demo)

2. Preferring The Worst (Demo)

3. Ascension (Demo)

4. Sleepwalkers (Demo)

5. Montpelier To Home (Demo)

6. Preferring The Worst (Live)

7. In The Half Light (Live)

8. 20.07.07 (Live)

9. The Hanging Sun (Live)

10. Southern Blue (Live)

Note: Compilation including demos and live tracks

Spotify

Apple Music

Bridge Nine

Instagram

Still In Love

Still In Love are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from London, England that formed in 2024, comprising former members of Dead Swans, Brutality Will Prevail, and Bring Me The Horizon. Following a pair of EP's last year (which were compiled on a single release this year), their debut LP Recovery Language came out in September of this year via Church Road Records. The album features thick, distorted riffs and vigorous drums that throttle out the occasional blast beat, echoing the blends of heavy music with a melodic edge a la something like Blacklisted. Nick from Dead Swans is also behind their searing, cathartic vocals, so if you're a fan of them this is certainly something work your time to check out. Enjoy.

Withdrawal Symptoms Pt. 1 (2024)

1. Self Portrait

2. The Peace Of Exhaustion

3. Homecoming (relapse)

Withdrawal Symptoms Pt. 2 (2024)

1. It Will Never Be Enough

2. Small Organ

3. Sober

Recovery Language (2025)

1. Tell The Truth

2. Nervous Impulse

3. Preserve & Cherish

4. Feathered Nest

5. Inherit

6. The State Of Things To Come

7. You Have To Let It Go

8. Pillar Of Strength

Bandcamp

Instagram

Facebook

Spotify

Apple Music

Stop It!!

Stop It!! were a four-piece post-hardcore/emo band from Richmond, Virginia that were around from 2001 to 2003 (approximately), putting out one demo and one LP (via Robotic Empire) and included former members of City of Caterpillar and Municipal Waste. The band played winding, discordant rhythms with angular lead melodies and shouted vocals, dynamically shifting not unlike City of Caterpillar with influence from the likes of Shotmaker, Twelve Hour Turn, Navio Forge, Sleepytime Trio, and Jawbox. Their sole full-length is worth your time, as is virtually anything Robotic Empire was putting out around this time, the consistency and creativity was absolutely insane. Enjoy.

Demo (2002)

1. When Doves Cry

2. My Prerogative

3. Theme Song To Beverly Hills, 90210

4. When A Man Loves A Woman

5. Paradise City

6. Exile On Main St.

7. Mr. Roboto

Self Made Maps (2003)

1. Maybe She's Born With It

2. Name And Number

3. Amen And Boys

4. A Clever Play On Words

5. Remove Your Teeth

6. S.S. Betrayal

7. Captain Roboto

8. Here's To New Shortcuts

9. Beethoven's Funeral

Wayfarers All (2004)

11. Not Mentioned On Maps

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Shots Fired

Shots Fired were a four-piece post-hardcore band from Kansas City, Missouri that existed sometime between 2003 and 2007 (who knows with half these bands) self-releasing one album in that time. But what a solid album it is, melding melodic half-shouted vocals with heavy riffs and layered, noodly, angular lead melodies with a robust, energetic rhythm section. If you're into At Tbe Drive-In, Bear vs. Shark, Cursive, or The Casket Lottery, this will likely be up your alley. Enjoy.

Shots Fired (2004)

1. Cocaine

2. Celebration

3. Squires At Bristol

4. Ragdoll

5. Rob McFiver

6. My Friend

7. Ludo Calls The Rock

8. Lapinaphobic

9. Anakin

Osceola

Osceola were a four-piece screamo/hardcore band from Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland,  that were around from approximately 2007 to 2009. This name might be slightly familiar because they put out a fantastic split with Suis La Lune in 2009 and were part of a great four-way split including Lautrec, Boy Problems, and The Reptilian the year prior. They released a few other splits and an EP in their brief few years, but it wasn't until now that I've really given their full body of work a proper listen with this discography release that dropped in 2023. It's got all their recorded material in one convenient place, and thus makes the best starting point if you're new to them. They're pretty raw, with a chaotic attack that blends melody, dissonance and syncopation behind shouted/screamed vocals, like a weepier At The Drive-In. If you're into L'Antietam or Age Sixteen, this will be up your alley for sure. Enjoy.

Discography (2023)

1. Smile

2. A Place To Die

3. Dendrophilia

4. Overlooked

5. Untitled

6. Intro

7. Drone

8. Don't Taste Me Bro

9. Malax

10. Experiencing

11. Human Frustration

12. Translucent

13. Temporary

14. Deadbeat

15. Final Attempt

16. Unfinished

Bandcamp

Massa Nera - The Emptiness Of All Things

I'm a little late here, but Lindin, New Jersey's Massa Nera just released their follow-up to 2022's excellent Derramar | Querer | Borrar on October 31st this year via Persistent Vision Records. The Emptiness Of All Things is the third feature-length from this long-time blog favourite, and with this latest record the band finds themselves confronting the existential overhang of the climate crisis with a dynamic sonic blend of convulsive discordance and atmospheric melody, utilizing their most varied vocal work to-date to capture the full emotional spectrum of this calamity in extraordinarily resonant and experimental fashion.

You can listen or download the album below. The band have commendably removed their work from all  streaming services, all of which in some way directly benefit corporate/defense spending interests, all things their art directly stands in opposition to. This album encapsulation the spirit of that, as a despairing yet defiant (especially its closing track) reflection of the social and emotional zeitgeist it was borne out of. 

Bandcamp

Persistent Vision Records