Welcome back to another Question of the Week, where we take a look at the biggest question in my mind at a given time. This week, I've been thinking back to my glory days, when I was just getting into what would become my emo music-inspired lifestyle. The heavy hitters were of course my entry into the post-hardcore genre, like Underoath, Silverstein, and Thrice, and once I acquired a taste for Coheed and Cambria, it was all systems go. Oddly enough, all four of the bands I've just mentioned have released new singles this year (Silverstein put theirs out in April, but all of the other bands have put theirs out within the last couple of weeks). It's likely due to the pandemic inching closer to its end and live music coming back, but whatever the reason is, I'll take it. All of these bands besides Underoath (PAGING UNDEROATH) have announced tours for the summer and/or fall and/or winter, and Thrice has gone so far as to announce that their new album, Horizons/East, which will be coming out in September. I know it's probably not right to pit these scene stalwarts against one another, but the one thing I've been thinking about all day is: which post-hardcore legend's new single is the best? Check out my rankings, in reverse order of preference, below, with videos for each song released!
**Note: Atreyu's new album Baptize has already been released, so their singles from that album were not considered for this list.
Silverstein - "Bankrupt" Featuring some samples and sound effects, and armed with a rare breakdown for the band, Silverstein released a new single to promote the final, firm rescheduling of the final postponed dates of their 20-year anniversary tour (including a few new dates, like the one at Starland Ballroom!). The pyrotechnical music video shows the band thrashing to release some of that pent up energy, and it seems the band has kept up their approach that they had on A Beautiful Place to Drown, where they're just emptying the chamber with whatever they want to add to their songs. Drown had some mixed results with that approach, but "Bankrupt" is definitely a picture of what kind of good it can do for the band.
Coheed and Cambria - "Shoulders" It's always so difficult to judge Coheed's singles, as the band's storytelling within each album is a part of the equation of each track, but "Shoulders" seems like a great start to the promotion of whatever is next for the world's foremost sci-fi post-hardcore band. Starting with an unexpected scream from Travis Stever, the riffs provided by Claudio Sanchez and his screaming counterpart pace the song incredibly well. You may not know what SAnchez is singing about yet, but you know it's catchy. I swear, this dude can write a soaring, arena-ready chorus in his sleep. If the single's artwork is any indication, we may also be in for the weirdest, most experimental release yet. And if you've followed the band for any amount of time, you know that's a very good thing.
Thrice - "Scavengers" I must admit, this is not quite how I expected the lead single from a Thrice album to sound like (perhaps the influence of "Blood in the Sand" and "The Grey" are too fresh in my mind). That's not to say it doesn't leave me craving for more from the band, however. The opening riff is surely going to get your head rocking, but Dustin Kensrue's vocals remained restrained until the song's bursting outro. Horizons/East has officially entered the Album Artwork of the Year race (along with last week's Question of the Week subject, Eidola, by the way), another fact that further proves the attention to detail Thrice has always been counted on for having. The song's crashing chorus is going to have crowds getting very rowdy on their fall tour with Touche Amore, and should fit right in with their setlist of classics, too.
Underoath - "Damn Excuses" This was never a race for #1, because Underoath had it within the first 15 seconds of "Damn Excuses." Truth be told, I hold this band nearer to my heart than almost any other band on earth, so the other three were fighting a steep uphill climb. Still, even with my bias, I don't know the argument against this. Underoath released this song with no fanfare, no merch drop, no album announcement, no tour announcement (PAGING UNDEROATH), just a pummeling two-and-a-half minute track that announces that Underoath didn't leave behind their heavy side when Erase Me came out. Fans of the band may find the track similar to "Breathing in a New Mentality," the leadoff track from Lost in the Sound of Separation, which set the tone for what may be the band's most complete work. If that's the bar the band are trying to clear, we may get another genre-defining album from metalcore's greatest export. Either way, it's just great to know Underoath are making more music.
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