Spite House is a post-hardcore band based out of Montreal dropping their second record titled ”Desertion on Pure Noise Records. This is a follow up to their self-titled 2022 album released on New Morality Zine. The band drops these 29 minutes of traumatic punk inspired sounds with the urgency of modern hardcore. The tracks recall some greats from the ‘90s like Jawbreaker and Knapsack, as well as slightly newer bands like Title Fight and Fiddlehead.
One neat thing about this release is the artwork. It’s a picture of a piece of visual art that was constructed, destroyed, then re-constructed and destroyed several more times. It was a deliberate message to tie into the music contained within the release. This is a concept album that explores loss so vulnerably and unsparingly that it’s sure to inspire catharsis and stage dives equally. There’s no greater way to get the weight of this world off your chest than through music and art.
These 11 songs are saturated with immense pain and heard-earned growth. It’s visceral and moving. The band dives into tragedies and how to release them. Moving past pain and what to learn from it. The lyrics are extremely personal to the band dealing with topics of suicide, loved ones with cancer, moving away from home, dealing with guilt, and much more. There is emotional depth, moody instrumentation and intensity that you will love. The vocals hit that sweet spot between confessional and feral, like somebody screaming their diary entries over a PA at a basement show.
I absolutely love the wall of sound the guitars on the recording produce. You can feel the magnitude in each strum. Some of the songs go from clean-ish, atmospheric guitars to sonically loud, jagged riffs with feedback. It truly matches the lyrical and emotional intensity in the album. The production is unreal on this album as well. It’s so sonically pleasing that it just sweeps you away when placing your headphones in and closing your eyes. It’s ethereal.
This album is top notch for the post-hardcore genre. It’s gritty but melodic. Spite House proves that post-hardcore/melodic hardcore doesn’t have to sand down the edges. It’s all grit, all heart, and the perfect record for anyone who needs an emotional release in this world. This record isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s trying to set the wheel on fire, push it downhill, and watch to see where it crashes. The top three tracks for me are “Ashen Grey”, “Please Know”, and “Desert”. Start there as an introduction to this band if you aren’t familiar. You won’t be dissatisfied at all so put it on, turn it up, and remember what it feels like to be torn open by a band that actually means it.
