Tear It On Down is the third record from Sweat and it picks up where the last two left off. It's aggressive hardcore punk, but with a playful groove or swagger that really makes it feel uplifting, even when the content is not.
Case in point: "Surveillance State," which rolls kind of like a call-and-response song, except that lead vocalist Tuna Tardugno takes about two-thirds of the vocals, almost doing the back-and-forth alone, with accent back-ups from the rest of the band. It has that rock 'n' roll sass, but it's also a pointed political takedown. I sing along to the "when it works, it works / when it works, it's great..." line every time, which has a magical flow to it -- fancy footwork that builds toward the knockout punch.
I'll call opening track "A New Love Language" a tonesetter and mission statement that's also very indicative of their style, which showcases hardcore's intensity but with garage rock attitude. It also ties in backing vocals in a way I don't remember noting as frequently on earlier releases, but reappears throughout Tear It On Down. "Life Sentence" is another song with more shared vocals, though Tardugno definitely remains the lead by far. I'll also call out the "Ha. Ha. Ha." and later "Ooo ooo ooo" chant-style vocals on this track, and later the vocal outtake at the album's very end. The band is serious. The sound is intense. But there is a playful element that permeates. When you see them live, the band is smiling, not scowling.
Going into the heavier beats, "Noise Is the Solution" pummels with a great drum lead and "Displaced" is a fierce minute-long burst. "Shorter Cages, Shorter Chains" is the pick-me-up song we all need in 2026. In the latter half, "Denied Experience" probably integrates the most shared vocals on the record and, along with "Surveillance State" it's one of my favorites -- it's high energy with that perfect mix of positive and angry moods. In fact they pretty much spell it out in the gang vocal refrain of "What's so hard about compassion/ Nothing wrong with direct action." (They're also the kind of band to supply you with a lyric sheet.)
For whatever reason, Love Child hit me a little more -- it had a little more sizzle, whereas Tear It On Down has a little more punch. Otherwise the band has been very consistent since their first release to the present and I'd honestly say all three records are about equal quality and consistency.
