Punk music is entering an exciting renaissance period. The genre, which never truly left, is reaching new heights of popularity thanks to acts like Turnstile and their post-punk family, Geese and Squid, who are reshaping the way people think about and approach the ageless art form. Punk, like any lasting genre, has evolved to incorporate subtle influences from across the music spectrum, slowing its blistering tempos and incorporating infectious melodies without sacrificing the hardcore anarchy that defined punk throughout its lifespan. This new era of punk is even more open-minded than before, and collaboration is at its heart. When you take some of the most exciting members of this movement and put them all under one banner, you get Angel Du$t, the Baltimore-based punk supergroup consisting of members from Terror, Turnstile, American Nightmare, The Hope Conspiracy, and more.
The multi-headed monster that is Angel Du$t emerges from this new era of punk with COLD 2 THE TOUCH, an 11-song, ripping love letter to contemporary punk and all its corners. This outing marks the band’s first since 2023, and carries on the same trajectory as its predecessor, Band New Soul, as the supergroup pieces together another sprawling, diverse tracklist. This is far from a copy-and-paste job, though. The band carries the same exploratory mindset that makes them one of the more exciting punk acts working, but it is even more expansive on COLD 2 THE TOUCH. At the same time, this outing doubles as a revealing look into this ever-evolving band, as they pen some of their most personal songs and deliver them with a sinister grin driven by innate sonic chemistry.
Sonically, COLD 2 THE TOUCH is unrelenting. From the moment you press play, you are thrown into a tornado of raw emotions and unpredictable melodies. The album opener, “Pain Is A Must,” beautifully introduces the nature of this album, yet it is only a fraction of the story Angel Du$t is trying to convey throughout this LP. Softer vocals unapologetically slide into sandpaper-like growls, all while crashing percussion and searing guitar color in the pictures being painted in the lyrics. Ironically, this warping opener is one of the more sturdy tunes on COLD 2 THE TOUCH. Songs like the subtly self-titled “DU$T” begin as an acoustic, almost ballad-like song, before transitioning into an onslaught of screeching vocals and rapid-fire tempos.
Angel Du$t seems to thrive in this unpredictability, maneuvering through tempo and mood changes with ease. A highlight like “Man on Fire” employs this singular song structure while doubling as a look into the band’s prophetic lyrical abilities. While it is easy to get lost in moments like “Zero” and “The Knife,” two hardcore examples of this band’s mastery of punk, there are hints of pure poetry within these outpourings of earned prowess. “Jesus Head” feels like an abstract portrait of longing and doing whatever is necessary to abate these emotions. “Downfall” is a chugging moment about falling victim to the past, while “Nothing I Can’t Kill” is an uplifting anthem of overcoming our deepest lows.
COLD 2 THE TOUCH isn’t an addition to a burgeoning punk scene; it’s a reimagining of it. Angel Du$t miraculously showcased their maturity while keeping a keen eye on the elements that make them such a unique voice, all while writing incredibly moving songs.
