Before a Million Universes

A brooding, brawny hunk of hardcore that boasts beautiful stillness alongside face-melting riffs. It sounds like a paradox but it’s an exhilarating bait-and-switch that’s evident throughout this New York quartet’s breakneck second record. From the surfy bassline of “Capitalized” and the halting, loudhailer glam on “Knight” to the way “Negative” sparks and sputters, this is heavy rock played with a deft lightness of touch. And grand finale “Yawp” is a menacing masterclass in loud-quiet-loud.