Exile is the calm before the storm. It brings you in with a sweeping but beautiful darkness. This mix of instrumentals, hardcore punk, and metal blend into this musical mixture that only Bondbreakr can construct. This is a short EP but I think it is a good representation of what a band like Bondbreakr offers. They are not one-dimensional but have a lot of depth even within their metal elements and music stylings.
If you are not familiar with Bondbreakr yet, then you will be sometime very soon. They hail from the Austin, Texas punk scene and recently signed to Grimace Records, along with other legends such as MDC, Naked Aggression, Elected Officials, Casual Relapse, Noogy, and Reagan Era Rejects. They have been gracing a lot of stages and festivals since 2018 with their unique blend of hardcore punk and metal. They have built a cult following in recent years (even your favorite artists book them for shows) and they want you to be the next pledging member of their doomed congregation. Exile is also a good representation of what their live shows feel like within this recording. Not only will this band give you the straight-up business but they will move on to something more innovative that we were not expecting and it keeps you wanting more.
Their most powerful track Progress and Change, is an anthem to the world’s injustice while building the message up brick by brick. The vocal mixtures of protest chants to metal growls build up a lot of texture and power within the song itself. The guitars act like pillars to hold up the song’s strength with their technical provision. Iconoclast is such an interesting track as well. It starts with an almost pop drum beat but then hits you with some gritty deep guitar riffs that roll right into the rest of the song. Singer Gerilyn also slowly builds from this slow chanting chorus into these slow growls towards the middle of the track which is very dynamic. Then we fade into an ambient moment within the song to just reel you back into the chaos. Before you know it, you are beautifully set up for the next track. The Living Fire honestly showcases classic Bondbreakr. It has fierce cutting vocals, gritty riffs and bass lines, with precision-like drum placements that have power behind each beat.
The album ends as it started, a perfect bookend to resolve the storm and let us back out to sea once more. Maybe it’s the lessons from what we lost in the storm that are the story of what makes us who we are today.
Where to listen/follow Bondbreakr:
Punk Rock Anthropology 