Amygdala and Listless both begin in the dark. It’s in the darkness of unfathomable loss and disconnection on individual and global stages where the anguish begins. While both bands are Ddrenched in hardcore punk’s noisy calamity, they split the difference between surviving emotional turmoil and getting revenge on the systems that cause it.
Amygdala follows their 2019 LP Our Voices Will Soar Forever with a set of songs intended for that album’s indignant self-reliance. The San Antonio collective carries over some of the theming from that release, from the jagged horrors of personhood (“My Body is a Vessel”) to the heavy burdens of cross-generational struggle (“A Kind of Death in Life”). Above all, Amygdala uses their side to assert their identity and dominance while toppling structures which seek to invalidate them.
Listless, a six piece “revenge band” from Richmond, released their saber-toothed debut EP in 2018. The Listless EP returns as part of this package, refocusing the band’s acerbic grit (“Crawl”) and thirst for retribution (“Blood for Blood”) in widescreen. New songs offer a different lens into the group—like the echoes of loss informing the reflective “Darling” or the monologue shot through “High Risk (Unsure Reward).” As a sturdy reintroduction to Listless, it’s also a well-rounded glimpse into their core values.
On their split LP—arriving this year via Get Better Records, Lengua Enfurecida Discos, and Quiet Year—there’s a shared consciousness at play. Different approaches to leveling an unfair playing field are inside, but all both sides forming a united front against cycles of violence, oppression, and power dynamics. - James Cassar
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