So who or what is a Belmont?
Formed by Chicago high school friends in 2014, Belmont quickly evolved from a local pop-punk band to an internationally lauded rock band with the release of their 2016 EP, Between You & Me, and 2018’s debut, self-titled full-length. After signing with Pure Noise Records, the then three-piece went on to release 2021’s heralded sophomore record, Aftermath, produced by Andrew Wade (A Day To Remember, Neck Deep, Real Friends).
So with that in mind this is MY first venture into Belmont-land and sweet baby Jesus it was not what I was expecting! The album’s opener ‘SSX Trickmont’ is an explosive in-your-face number that literally could tear the skin off your face! Somewhere between pop-punk-math-rock-emo and god knows what I was praying to said baby Jesus for my life by the end. But equally, kinda turned on and wanted more! Taking a moment to catch my breath before ‘Two’s A Party’ kicks in and much like the opener it’s a banger right from the off, a relentless track packed with all-out energy and slamming riffs, killer melodies and wee technical nuances going on throughout that if you are not paying attention you could miss, the wee scrapes on the guitar neck, harmonics just have to be appreciated. The musicianship is just beautiful, the drum work on this track is just killer and for someone who can overlook these things it totes grabbed my attention. #totes
The albums title track is up next and the lyrics are being spat out like bullets, along with wee technical bursts on the guitar in between the banging riffage, I think this is going to be a theme, ‘Moxie’ has all the pop-punk charm you’ll need and has plenty of screamo thrown in too, big breakdowns and hefty guitars keep the head banging whilst sneaking a melodic backbone to eat at the worm in your brain. The album is all killer-no-filler with each track more furious than the last, a trio of angsty dudes slamming out every feeling they ever had and I kinda love it!
If you need a good banger and you tend to lean towards the pop-punk angsty side of things Belmont could be right up your street! Just what the doctor ordered, dump the pills, forget the Oxy and crank up ‘Moxie’!
Belmont are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating collection of cookie-cutter bands in a heavily saturated market.
Belmont for president, there I said it!
Liminal lands Friday, April 12th courtesy of Pure Noise Records.
Pre-order “Liminal“: https://lnk.to/
“Liminal” Tracklisting:
1. SSX Trickmont
2. Two’s A Party
3. Liminal
4. Day By Day
5. Moxie
6. Dark Paradise
7. All Bite
8. B3ND BUDGE
9. Counterfeit
10. N2
11. Play Pretend
12. I Don’t Really Care
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