Announcing their arrival back in late 2023, Rhode Island melodic hardcore band Glorious Wounds has cemented their place in the local scene with their debut self-titled EP.
In just 18 minutes Glorious Wounds make themselves stand out even amongst the local scene which generally leans into the darker, heavier and crust influenced hardcore side, due to the legacy bands like Dropdead and Product of Waste have had on the scene.
Glorious Wounds, as drummer Dan stated previously, wanted to go in a direction that sounded like “a happier version of Cursed” and they showed that with the release of the single, “A Headstone With Your Name,” as they blasted out a vicious sounding rhythm coupled with a more melodic guitar sound.
The icing on the cake is Jill’s vocal work as well as her extensive lyricism describing traumatic experiences throughout her life. The lyrics seem vengeful but they also seem resolved in things one cannot control.
“Swimming With the Fishes” kicks off the new EP with a brisk back and forth between the guitar and bass before launching into the speedy arrangement with Jill’s deep and haunting vocals. The tempo and style they deliver it in reminds the listener of the glory days of Bridge Nine bands like Carry On and Verse but they always maintain that darker edge.
Plenty of mosh centric riffs mixed in between the verses ensures for a dynamic pit.
The following track, “Headroom Signal Hijack,” opens with a straight Rival Mob-esque riff to get some side to side action going. Following that track comes one of the best tracks Glorious Wounds has penned, “A Headstone With Your Name.” Here, Jill’s lyrics express the desire to burn a bridge with someone once held dear.
The track features some of the most personal lyrics she’s written and it’s clear the wound cuts deep. Opening with the line “It's been 10 long years and I thought this would fucking heal/ But it never did, The wound you left on me today, I realize is going to stay.” By the end she seems to have put these feelings of disgust and rage to bed with the lines:
“To be so cold, To cut the ties
Life of pain, The endless lies
Take the loss and let it die
Clip the Wings
Expect to fly”
It seems like this is the point of the EP where Jill really dives deep into the dark thoughts that creep into her mind as the following tracks “My Letter to the Boy Who Cried Wolf” and “My Reflection Looks Different” both feel like you’re diving below the surface and seeing where her head is at. The latter track opening with the haunting statement of:
“I take a look in the mirror
All I see is your face looking back at me
Struggling to remember
A time and pace when I wasn't such a broken being”
Despite the personal depths the subject matter reaches for, the bands sound is always energetic, as though it’s telling you to charge forward no matter what may be holding you back. This combination of deeply personal lyrics with energetic hardcore really sets Glorious Wounds apart from bands that typically dive this deep, the music doesn’t make you wallow in the misery it urges you onward.
Closing out with the 5-minute long epic “Floating In The Stars” is where Glorious Wounds changes up the blueprint a bit with the somber yet peaceful opening that wouldn’t seem out of place in an indie ballad. It’s contemplative sound fits the title as it makes the listener feel as though they’re floating above the clouds accompanied only by the stars and their deepest thoughts and memories. This opening builds until about the minute and a half mark where the band jumps right back on the horse and leads the final charge.
Glorious Wounds’ self-titled debut presents a refreshing and energetic take on the current hardcore blueprint, a yin and yang of sorts between the dark subject matter found in crust and power violence and the uplifting thrashes of bands like Have Heart and Bane.
Each track brings the heat and will definitely get the crowds going with both the power of the instruments and relatable lyricism. A bonafide gem from Rhode Island, one of New England hardcore’s best kept secrets.
Stay updated on what’s happening with Glorious Wounds through their social media pages and give their self-titled debut a good hard listen if you’re looking for more early 2000s-influenced melodic hardcore to add to your diet.
Get It
- Tor Johnson Records (cassette)
- Bandcamp (digital)
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