Seattle hardcore outfit Regional Justice Center shared a short new track called “Conquest” from their upcoming album Crime and Punishment. It’s the third song released from the record after “Absence” and “Inhuman Joy.” The full release is due March 5 via Closed Casket Activities.
“Conquest” is dynamic for a one-minute-fifteen-second sound recording. Still, it’s fairly typical of the hardcore subgenre ‘powerviolence’ in that it switches between sludge-inspired slowdowns and explosive speedups. Frontman Ian Sheldon’s incoherent screamed vocals and sharp drums fly along the same rhythms as the guitarwork.
As a multi-instrumentalist, Sheldon began releasing music under the name Regional Justice Center to express his frustration with the American for-profit prison system. Alex Haller and Che Hise-Gattone have since joined him on guitar and Steph Jerkova joined on bass. In a statement, Sheldon said that the new album is about how he was impacted by certain institutions as he grew up, “I realized part way through writing that I was making a record about my roots and the way they shaped who I am. The first half of the record is about cause and the second half is about consequence.”
Crime and Punishment was recorded at The Pit Recording Studios with producer Taylor Young. Via press release, Shelton discussed how Young helped shape the songs on the album, “A lot of times my songwriting can be about deprivation—with grind, power violence, or any short form songwriting it’s about withholding until the right moment to make the most impact. Taylor really pushed me to be more open to those kinds of parts and find even more dynamics in the songs.”
It’s a short record, with ten tracks adding up to around 13 minutes long in total. Preorders and merch options can be found on the label’s website.
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