Angel Du$t share new song/video “Pain Is A Must“
New album COLD 2 THE TOUCH
due out this Friday via Run For Cover Records
Angel Du$t by Nat Wood
This week the unstoppable Angel Du$t are releasing their highly anticipated new album, COLD 2 THE TOUCH, and today they’re sharing one more early taste of the record, “Pain Is A Must“.
Arriving this Friday, 13th February via Run For Cover Records, COLD 2 THE TOUCH is a 26-minute blast of eclectic and hard-hitting music that proves Angel Du$t‘s drive to make authentically aggressive rock & roll truly has no limit. “Pain Is A Must” follows a slew of ripper singles, “I’m The Outside“, “DU$T“, “Cold 2 The Touch“, “The Knife“, and “The Beat” and its head-spinning riffs and guest vocals from Terror’s Scott Vogel are sure to leave listeners excited for hearing COLD 2 THE TOUCH in full on Friday.
Stream “Pain Is A Must” everywhere:
angeldustmoney.lnk.to/
Pre-order COLD 2 THE TOUCH:
https://angeldustmoney.lnk.to/
Watch the music video for “Pain Is A Must” below
COLD 2 THE TOUCH follows Angel Du$t‘s 2023 album BRAND NEW SOUL (which drew praise from fans and critics alike, including Pitchfork, Stereogum, Uproxx, Kerrang, BrooklynVegan, Consequence, Revolver, and many more), and finds the group reuniting with producer/engineer Brian McTernan (Turnstile, Balance & Composure, Bane, Converge) who recorded much of their early material. Its also the first release with new members Nick Lewis and Jim Carroll (also of American Nightmare, Suicide File, The Hope Conspiracy and more), and it features guest appearances from all across the hardcore universe-including Scott Vogel (Terror), Wes Eisold (American Nightmare, Cold Cave), Patrick Cozens (Restraining Order) Frank Carter, and Taylor Young (Twitching Tongues, Deadbody).
The result is Angel Du$t‘s most flat-out ferocious work in some time, a blender of hard riffs, big hooks, and even bigger personality. “This is who I am” says Tripp. “and I speak for the band too: these are people who are always going to be playing aggressive rock & roll. It’s happening whether you like it or not. I’m me, and if you get in my way I’m gonna crush you.”
Angel Du$t are touring worldwide in support of COLD 2 THE TOUCH, kicking off 26th February with a free record release blowout in Baltimore, and followed by a truly gigantic North American tour. See full itinerary below.
COLD 2 THE TOUCH album artwork
COLD 2 THE TOUCH track list:
1. Pain Is A Must
2. Cold 2 The Touch
3. I’m The Outside
4. Jesus Head
5. Zero
6. Downfall
7. DU$T
8. Nothing I Can’t Kill
9. Man On Fire
10. The Knife
11. The Beat
Upcoming Shows:
26/02 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage (free record release show)
27/02 Washington DC @ St. Stephen’s Church
28/02 Philadelphia, PA @ Lithuanian Music Hall
01/03 Rutherford, New Jersey @ The Williams Center
02/03 Albany, NY @ Ophelia’s
03/03 Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
05/03 Toronto, ON @ East End United Basement
06/03 Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
07/03 Milwaukee, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
08/03 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
09/03 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
11/03 Tulsa, OK @ Mass Movement Community Arts
12/03 Dallas, TX @ Rubber Gloves (NOT SO FUN WKND)
13/03 Houston, TX @ The End (NOT SO FUN WKND)
14/03 San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger (NOT SO FUN WKND)
15/03 Austin, TX @ Regal Room (NOT SO FUN WKND)
17/03 Tucson, AZ @ Urbxn
18/03 Phoenix, AZ @ Rosetta Room
19/03 San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
21/03 Los Angeles, CA @ 1720
22/03 Berkley, CA @ 924 Gilman
24/03 Portland, OR @ High Limit Room
25/03 Seattle, WA @ Washington Hall
26/03 Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
27/03 Salt Late City, UT @ Fellowship Hall
29/03 Denver, CO @ Marquis
01/04 St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
02/04 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
03/04 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground
04/04 New York, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
06/04 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
30/04 Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
02/05 Melbourne, AU @ 170 Russell
03/05 Sydney, AU @ Liberty Hall
05/05 Adelaide, AU @ Lion Arts Factory
06/05 Perth, AU @ Amplifier Bar
30-31/05 Detroit, MI @ Tied Down Detroit
27/02 w/ Crown Of Thornz, Backlash, Love Sick
28/02-01/03 w/ Crown Of Thornz, Combust, Love Sick
02/03 w/ Combust, Love Sick
03/03 w/ Béton Armé, Combust, Love Sick
05/03 w/ Big Boy, Mil-Spec, Eskrima
06/03 w/ Negative Approach, Big Boy, Bad Beat, The Sissy Boys
07/03-09/03 w/ Big Boy, Bad Beat
11/03-15/03 w/ Béton Armé
17/03 w/ Midrift, Béton Armé
18/03-21/03 w/ Midrift, Béton Armé, Leave No Doubt
21/03 w/ Béton Armé, Leave No Doubt
24/03-29/03 w/ Home Front, Béton Armé, Odd Man Out
01/04-03/04 w/ Outta Pocket, Jivebomb
04/04 w/ Outta Pocket, Jivebomb, Vanity
05/04 w/ Death Threat, Outta Pocket, Jivebomb
30/04-06/05 w/ Superheaven
Biography:
There’s no other band like Angel Du$t. In fact, the singular group is almost defined by how far they stand apart from the pack. So if saying Angel Du$t aren’t like anyone else is a no-brainer, then what are they like? Are they cutting-edge genre-destroyers or one of the last authentic guitar bands standing? Are they blunt force aggression incarnate or earnest experimentalists? Are they the hardcore version of an indie band or is it the other way around? You might ask yourself these kinds of questions while taking in the totality of Angel Dust’s decade-plus journey, but the band’s new album, COLD 2 THE TOUCH, suggests that maybe it’s not so complicated after all. Or as vocalist/mastermind Justice Tripp puts it: “Angel Du$t is rock & roll.”
COLD 2 THE TOUCH captures this simple fact better than ever before. The 26-minute blast of eclectic and hard-hitting music makes it clear that Angel Du$t can’t be contained within the confines of narrow subgenres, and that a term as elemental as rock & roll might actually fit like a glove. “The flow of energy is a big part of what we do. Angel Du$t needs to incite movement – I’m not down with people chilling while we play, that’s offensive to me-so having a genuine hardcore influence without making hardcore is important to the band.” Tripp elaborates. “Melody is another huge ingredient, so is the authentic influence of bluesy, chromatic rock & roll constructs. So punk, hardcore, rock & roll–they’re all just different flows of energy that we’re trying to use.”
Angel Du$t formed in 2013 as a respite from Tripp’s time with heavy hardcore heroes Trapped Under Ice, and while the band’s comparatively tuneful sound was initially divisive, it soon proved to not only have staying power, but also massive influence. Twelve years later the hardcore-to-melody pipeline is well established thanks in no small part to Tripp and Angel Du$t, but the musician’s restless creativity keeps him far from resting on laurels. “The start of the band was very off the cuff,” he explains. “TUI was purposely very serious, so Angel Du$t was supposed to be more free-spirited, and I think that we really try to keep that spontaneity even this many years into it. The band was created with a real set of guidelines but has expanded way outside of them because finding that free-spirited energy has always been the goal, and the sound has to change to keep finding that.”
Luckily Angel Du$t have also often been home of some of the most talented musicians coming up in punk and hardcore, and fresh personnel has played a huge role in keeping the band alive and Tripp inspired–especially now with COLD 2 THE TOUCH. Tripp, guitarist Steve Marino, and bassist Zechariah Ghostribe, were joined by new drummer Nick Lewis and guitarist Jim Carroll. The two musicians each brought unique and somewhat opposite perspectives to the making of COLD 2 THE TOUCH: Lewis had never recorded in a proper studio before, while Carroll is a veteran of legendary bands like Suicide File, Hope Conspiracy, American Nightmare, and more. The team was rounded out by producer/engineer Brian McTernan who recorded much of the early Angel Du$t material in addition to countless other legendary releases (Turnstile, Balance & Composure, Bane, Converge). “The band has always been about me funnelling other elements coming in from other people–I make a lot of music based on where I feel like the collective consciousness is going. I think this is the most collaborative Angel Du$t record.”
The result is the band’s most overtly ferocious album in some time-a blender of hard riffs and big hooks that are matched by Tripp’s open-hearted existentialism. “A lot of the lyrics are in the context of ‘when is the end coming and what are we doing with our lives in the meantime?’” he explains. “I want to experience life while I can, I want to commit to what I am and my place in the world. For me that’s music but I think that’s important for anyone–to do the things you do unapologetically.”
That mentality is palpable throughout COLD 2 THE TOUCH, starting with its stomping opener, “Pain Is A Must.” The track highlights the balance of eye-bulging aggression and satisfying melody at which Angel Du$t excels, with guest vocals from Terror’s Scott Vogel hammering home Tripp’s bluntly stirring lyrics. “It’s a song about sacrificing for things you love to do. Getting Scott on the song was special cuz he’s the one that taught me that. There’s nothing in life that I want that doesn’t come with some misery and I accept that.” The album hurls forward with the galloping hardcore of its title track, followed by early standout “I’m The Outside, which” further underlines Tripp’s worldview overtop of a headbang-ready instrumental that sounds like Stone Temple Pilots collaborating with Bad Brains. “Everyone has an ‘I’m on the outside’ song, but I wanted to make it ‘I am the outside,’” Tripp says. “I’m what you’re aspiring to be when you think you’re an outsider. I don’t have any choice, this is my lifestyle, but as I get older I try to approach it with as much positivity as I can. I want to think more about what I can contribute, I want to be more about solutions–I can live on my terms, I can draw people towards positive mindsets in life.” It’s an endearing bit of maturity from one of modern hardcore’s more intense figures. “But this is also on the same record with a song about me beating the shit out of someone for all eternity because sometimes that’s the solution, too,” Tripp adds with a laugh.
Elsewhere tracks like “Jesus Head” or “Du$t” show that the band haven’t neglected their experimental side, leaning into lush textures, reversing drums, or Tripp’s versatile voice–but even those songs stay true to the snarling heart of COLD 2 THE TOUCH by throwing in a biting guitar solo, earthshaking breakdown, or unexpected blast beat. “I think at the end of the day, I’m an artist and everything I’ve done is something authentic to me–I really consciously didn’t write for other people or what people might expect, and just wrote completely for me,” says Tripp. “When we were in the studio for this one I could really feel that. It truly felt like there were no boundaries–it’s just the magic of great players, a great producer, and we can do anything we want.” That constellation of collaborators makes COLD 2 THE TOUCH a captivating listen that’s constantly surprising the listener: Carroll makes his presence especially felt on “Zero,” a veritable Angel Du$t epic that clocks in at over three minutes of spiraling riffs and features vocals from Wes Eisold of American Nightmare and Cold Cave; “Downfall” has the growl of Restraining Order’s Patrick Cozens; “Man On Fire” taps UK punk legend Frank Carter; and “The Beat” includes guttural guest vitriol from Taylor Young of Twitching Tongues, Deadbody, and more.
The album’s final one-two punch of “The Knife” and “The Beat” sums up exactly what makes Angel Du$t such a special band. This is a creative endeavour where heart-on-sleeve musings about the finite nature of life can coexist with the unbridled thrill of violence-inducing riffs, where real humanity can flourish and being true to yourself and your own spectrum of thoughts, interests, and feelings takes primacy above all else. “This is who I am,” says Tripp. “and I speak for the band too: these are people who are always going to be playing aggressive rock & roll. It’s happening whether you like it or not. I’m me, and if you get in my way I’m gonna crush you.”
Angel Du$t online:
Bandcamp / Twitter / Instagram
