Traversing the depths of massive, churning riffs, often distorted to the point of violence, bouncing, lock-grooved rhythms, and crystalline, gorgeously constructed hooks, Narrow Head puts on a masterclass in the art of writing songs that match the pain, pleasure, and confusion of modern living. Each track is sentimental without being precious, heavy without unnecessary griminess, pop-forward without letting the listener off the hook easy: these songs ask for some form of hurt or desire to be paid back to them in return, some promise that the listener is putting equal skin into the game.

Since forming in 2018, Knumears (guitarist/vocalist Matthew Cole, bassist/vocalist Dante Garcia II, and drummer Frankie Lopez) have been touring heavily and releasing a steady drip of heartrendingly compelling music. The band carries the torch for one of the most esoteric yet enduring corners of ’90s hardcore–whether you call it screamo, skramz, emoviolence, or whatever else, Knumears offer a fresh take on the chaos and catharsis that define this sound.

Destiny Bond wants to live forever. Their latest album The Love is built on themes of survival, resistance, and the immortality of love. Not a sanitized love, but the kind that sticks around even when things fall apart. A lot of the songs deal with raw introspection, conflict, identity, and grief, but they’re just as much about the larger systems we’re all up against. The band sees these elements as connected. The lyrics don’t offer clean answers, but they don’t hold back either. It’s music that remembers what’s been lost, what we’re fighting for, and what’s worth protecting.