Glow On

Turnstile

Just like Refused with The Shape of Punk to Come, or Fugazi with... well, their whole discography really, Turnstile have released a hardcore record that totally breaks the mold. All you have to do is listen to the beginning of the opening track, MYSTERY, and the shimmering synths will immediately tell you that your are in for a very different experience. These synths actually pop up a few times throughout the record, providing a little cohesion despite the constant genre hopping. The ironically titled NO SURPRISES, instrumentally, is entirely electronic and really quite beautiful. I love this track and it is a shame that it is really just a short interlude and has a very abrupt ending.

The band also gets really ambitious with rhythm on this record. Another one of my favourite tracks, BLACKOUT, flirts with a little bit of sequenced beats that really enhance the groove and catchiness of this track; as if that crunchy guitar riff needed any help. The following track DON'T PLAY also incorporates some sequenced drums, but what is perhaps more surprising is the latin-influenced beat. I wouldn't really consider myself a hardcore aficionado, but this is certainly the first time I'm hearing it used in this context and that feels like quite a bold decision.

Straying even further from hardcore are the tracks UNDERWATER BOI, ALIEN LOVE CALL and NEW HEART DESIGN. I would almost consider them to be more in the vein of 80s new wave and shoegaze with their heavily chorused guitars and gated snares. This is a little less surprising as hardcore and emo bands have been embracing these types of sounds for awhile; Title Fight's Hyperview immediately comes to mind. With that being said, it doesn't feel like they are simply trying to emulate these sounds and are instead finding a way to make them their own.

There are two more of my favourite moments that I have to share. I really love the wacky frequency sweeps and panning on the guitars on HUMANOID. It feels like some guitar wizardry that Nick Reinhart would come up with, and you should know by now how much I love Nick Reinhart. I also have to shout out T.L.C. for being perhaps the only true blue hardcore tune and it is a rager. Although, even this track has a quirky synth beginning and finishes off with a pulsing house beat.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for all the ambitious genre mashups and outside influences that Turnstile have included on Glow On. The only thing that kept me from really loving this was just a few hooks. There are quite a few tracks in the middle that almost blend together; if you played me a random selection, I'm not confident that I could identify it by name. Even though some songs failed to leave a lasting impression on me, the record as a whole certainly did. Turnstile have definitely converted a new fan and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.