Pure Intentions is a hard hitting punk band first emerging in the Chicago scene in 2020. Since its formation by Joe Asshole and Tommy Volume, they have since added Judson Jones in 2024 to become its current standing trio. During that time, these guys have spread their gritty sound by touring the United States while gaining a strong following along the way. On January 30, 2026, the band released its debut self-titled album, Pure Intentions, with a promise that it “brings that classic raw energy that has been missing from music,” according to the band’s official website.
This LP starts “Nocturnal Aggression” with a thunder of sound with the drums leading the charge. It’s fast, it’s gritty, and the guitar definitely demands your attention. I immediately picked up the “classic raw energy vibe” that this band advertised. It reminded me of my high school days standing in driveways listening to the band playing from the garage.
“Vindicate” has a certain fight song quality about it and has the catchiest chorus on the album. Get ready for a screaming guitar over a steady drum beat. It has just enough controlled chaos to fire up a crowd and get them rowdy. Throw in the perfect tempo and let’s get this circle pit going.
“Killed By Fate” is a standout on the album for me. Like many of Pure Intentions songs, there is a slow build before it really kicks off. Amidst the crashing cymbals contains the best breakdown on the album for me. It slows down just long enough to catch your breath and carry you through to end with the same energy as the beginning.
This self-titled album ends with “Long Time Coming.” It takes me back to the roots of protopunk, most likely due to the swagger in the vocals, and is my favorite out of all of the tracks. After all of the intensity of the album, it was a good call to finish up with their most melodic song.
Overall, this is a great LP for getting physical work done: an album that you throw on when you mow the grass or clean your house. It tends to bleed together and it took quite a few run throughs before the individual songs started to differentiate themselves for me. Once they did, I had a deeper appreciation for them. I’m not sure that they completely delivered on their promise to be what’s missing from music, but Pure Intentions is now on my radar and I look forward to the next release.
