Glassjaw

Patron saints of the Long Island underground, Glassjaw are an American post-hardcore band wailing at the intersection of instrumental extravagance and DIY execution. Glassjaw's founders Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck met at summer camp in 1993, becoming fast friends and launching the band after returning to their hometown of Hempstead, NY. Their 1997 EP, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, showcased influences from New York hardcore and straight-edge metalcore bands like Sons of Abraham. Palumbo's distinct style of accusatory lyrics delivered in piercing, high-pitched vocals gave shape to the band's influential 2000 debut LP, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. Their 2002 follow-up, Worship and Tribute, incorporated jazz arrangements and ambient textures that elevated anger into introspection on cuts like “Ape Dos Mil” and “The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports.” Label drama, band hiatuses, and Palumbo's ongoing battle with Crohn's disease delayed Glassjaw's next album for 15 years, though they continued to perform regularly and released a string of one-off singles such as the baroque “All Good Junkies Go to Heaven.” However, 2017's booming Material Control LP is a testament to Glassjaw's steadfast approach to creating music: never rushed, always visceral, and stacked with cathartic primal screams.