German quartet Phantom Bay fuse Dischord-era hardcore, 90s emo, and 00s melodic hardcore into a modern punk sound with their new record "Underground"

German quartet Phantom Bay fuse Dischord-era hardcore, 90s emo, and 00s melodic hardcore into a modern punk sound with their new record “Underground”

Underground

Artist: Phantom Bay

Tracklist:

Airtight
No Space
Bullet
Ends Meet
Collective Decline

The world is in a terrible place, everyone knows it, and nobody does anything against it. – Phantom Bay

Phantom Bay’s emotive brand of hardcore only plays the soundtrack to this epiphany. Formed in Bremen, Germany, in 2020, the band’s members are deeply rooted in the punk scene, having cut their teeth in numerous earlier projects. Phantom Bay’s sound draws influence from the full spectrum of punk music, with hints of 80s D.C. hardcore, 90s emo and 00s melodic hardcore, never compromising on melodic quality.

After releasing a debut album in 2022, Phantom Bay toured Europe with LA punks Militarie Gun and opened for hardcore heavyweights Turnstile. Having made their UK live debut at Manchester Punk Fest, the band is set to perform at legendary Fest in Gainesville this Fall.

On their nuanced follow-up EP Underground, Phantom Bay delivers cohesive songwriting and sharp hooks. From the riff-ladden opener “Airtight”, to groovy lead single “Ends Meet” and the anthemic closer “Collective Decline”, Phantom Bay demonstrates how versatile a punk record can sound in 2023.

Lyrically, the record is a reflection of the world’s current state, viewed through the prism of the average doom scrolling white-collar millennial. “It feels like we’re on this downward trajectory where Western societies are bound to degenerate. My entire social media feed is telling me that this world is going to hell. No wonder people are turning back to more primal, racist, greedy, impatient and reckless behavior. I tend to absorb all of this until I can’t anymore. Writing music is my way of coping, it’s therapy.”

Collective Decline is about strongly disagreeing with the direction the world is headed towards, but feeling too insignificant and paralyzed to make changes. It’s a song celebrating the feeling of being a small cog in the machine and realizing that this world will go to hell, no matter what you do.

Underground will be released on September 8th 2023 through KROD Records.

Phantom Bay - Collective Decline (Official Music Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfi6ndWkCl4

Track by track:

AIRTIGHT is about knowing that you should do more to make the world a better place, but instead finding yourself making up alibis to justify your actions towards yourself. We buy so much stuff we don’t need, don’t care where things come from and who we’re supporting silently. The song and video is a call to think more before you make a purchase.

NO SPACE is an ode to the punk and hardcore community and its tight network of bands, promoters and venues. We found a home in this community 15 years ago and made some of our life’s most memorable experiences through touring and getting to know parts of the world which we would have never visited otherwise.

BULLET is about that spark in all of us who still play in bands. Music as an artform and means of self-expression has become such an integral part of our personalities that we can’t live without it anymore. It takes up a lot of time, headspace and energy and is an increasing financial balancing act. But after all, there is now better feeling than looking at something you have created yourself and share it with the world.

ENDS MEET is about working on your own projects and ideas, even when no one but you appreciates and understands them. It’s about realizing that you will only be satisfied once you pursue your own ideas. At the same time, the song captures all the frustration that comes with feeling unaccomplished, overlooked and not good enough.

COLLECTIVE DECLINE is about strongly disagreeing with the direction the world is headed towards, but being too insignificant and paralyzed to make significant changes. It’s about feeling like a small cog in the machine and realizing that the world will go to hell, no matter what you do.

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