Band: Better Think Twice
From: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Their formation story:
(Tyler Zosky, guitar): "The very beginning of this project can be traced back to 2022 when I was writing music for my other band Controller. I was working on writing new songs, and some of the stuff I was coming up with didn't quite fit into the confines of what we normally do. The material seemed different enough that I shelved it. Fast forward to 2023, I decided to revisit these songs and approach them as a separate studio-only project. I recruited some guys that I thought would be a good fit, and could spice up the ideas I had.
"The original jams were two guitars and drums, and we added from there. Chipper is solid on drums, and a super easy guy to get along with. He already plays with me in Controller, so I knew that he is always able to take a drum part or idea to the next level while still remaining true to the intent.
"I also got Chad, a lifelong friend, into the deal as a lead guitarist. He also fills in for Controller sometimes, and we've been playing music together since we were kids, so I was familiar with his talent and knew he could add the depth I was looking for. Then we added Mick on vocals. He played in a band years ago from our area called Slums and I was really into the vocal style, so I wanted to bring that to the mic.
"We decided to add a third guitar to allow ourselves some room for more complexities and beef up the blend. I reached out to Vito, who was a guy I met randomly at the bar down the street from my house. He came in one night wearing a Madball jacket, so of course we ended up talking and it turns out that he plays guitar. Finally, I hit up Lukas to play bass. He plays in OK Buddy and Cheated, which are some other Lehigh Valley hardcore bands.
"By 2024 we were getting together regularly, and starting to really hammer the songs. The commitment I was getting from the fellas exceeded my initial expectations, so we decided to really make this more of an actual band than just a recording project.
"We hit the studio in the summer and recorded with Jared Stimpfl (of Secret Cutter, Oktober Skyline, etc.), who has been a solid guy that I've worked with for many years to do mixing on countless projects, and is responsible for the production on a lot of other Lehigh Valley classics.
"We finally picked the name Better Think Twice and played our first show in August. Lukas, who helped write and record on the EP, was replaced with Donnie for live appearances. Me and Donnie played music together previously in a noise rock band called Narrow Lover. BT2 played a second show earlier this year in New Jersey at the Meatlocker, and then we finally decided it was time to release the EP."
Their sound in their own words:
"I would describe our sound as hardcore with metal influences. All of us have a wide range of tastes, so I wanted to display some of those while still keeping the basis of the group as an old school hardcore punk band. Hardcore unites all of us in our varied musical interests, and this is another way that we are contributing to our scene.
"I would say we fit in soundwise with a lot of the other Pennsylvania hardcore bands over the years, notably for fans of groups like Dead End Path or War Hungry. Listen to us if you like divebombs, crossover thrash, Biohazard, palm-muted riffs, and lyrics about not being a fucking loser."
Latest release info:
"This self-titled EP is the first 6 songs of this band. It features the latest and greatest in Lehigh Valley Hardcore technology. Learn the words and come grab the mic. Me and the boys had a lot of fun putting this thing together. It's available on cassette tape thru Avarice Records. Listen to it with headphones on.
"The cover artwork and logo were designed by Jon Mayo. If you want to work together releasing this on a different format, or want to get something together in the future, just give us a shout. Right now we're just chillin' and it's cool to see the positive response we've been getting so far."
Future plans:
"We are gonna let this release sink in and play a few shows here and there. A lot of the guys involved in the band are dads. We are all working-class guys in our 30s with a bunch of shit going on. But of course, we still make it out to shows and support our friends. You'll definitely be able to catch us live a few times before the end of the year."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"There's a ton of great bands going on in Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas. Some that we like or play in ourselves include Controller, SKIVES, OK Buddy, Cheated, Pain Strikes, Secret Cutter, Out to Destroy, Wipes, Ultramantis Black, Conduit, Raskol, Threat 2 Society, Fools Game, The Peace Corps, Negative Force, and Last Man Out."
The Better Think Twice demo is available on cassette via Avarice Records.
Better Think Twice on social media: Instagram
Tagged: better think twice
