Justice Tripp rebuilds and reasserts himself with a little help from his friends on hard-punching sixth Angel Du$t outing.
While Turnstile have been busy taking over the world, Justice Tripp has been having a very different experience. The former bandmate of Brendan Yates, Daniel Fang and Pat McCrory – all of whom left Angel Du$t to focus on Turnstile as that band went stratospheric – hasn’t quite had the same level of luck.
In 2022, he was hospitalised after experiencing stroke-like symptoms, later diagnosed as the effects of a mental breakdown. The following year, Angel Du$t released their fifth full-length, Brand New Soul – the band’s last record to feature either Pat or Daniel. Brendan had already left a couple of years earlier. COLD 2 THE TOUCH, then, is the first Angel Du$t record since Justice – the only original member left – essentially reinvented the band with a new line-up.
These 11 songs don’t shy away from those changes. In fact, they assert the Baltimore band’s identity as modern hardcore heroes, from the crushing belligerence of Pain Is A Must and the title-track – a one-two sucker punch that seems in stark contrast to the direction that Turnstile have been taking hardcore. With the exception of the deceptively mellow first half of Du$t and the almost sensuous groove of Man On Fire’s first two minutes, this album is fast, frenetic, furious and full of intention.
They have also enlisted a bunch of their friends to ensure that’s the case from beginning to end. That emphatic opener features Terror’s Scott Vogel, while the blisteringly dark Zero has a cameo from Wes Eisold of American Nightmare and Cold Cave, whose presence ramps up the already thrilling energy of the song. Elsewhere, Restraining Order’s Patrick Cozens adds some righteous catharsis to Downfall, Frank Carter explodes on the crescendo of Man On Fire, and Taylor Young of Twitching Tongues and Deadbody adds to the raging hardcore fire of closer The Beat.
This may be a much more conventional form of hardcore than their alumni have been doing recently, but here Angel Du$t are truly flexing their muscles. Not only do these songs prove that they’re one of the most original and inventive names in hardcore right now, but they reassert the band’s legacy. And while it’s unlikely they’ll ever find themselves clutching a GRAMMY, this record fully proves their worth.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Militarie Gun, Drain, Turnstile
COLD 2 THE TOUCH is released on February 13 via Run For Cover
