Jesus Piece Push Hardcore Into New Territory With ‘…So Unknown’

Clocking in at barely 28 minutes, Jesus Piece’s followup to their acclaimed debut Only Self is hardcore stripped of an ounce of bullshit or pretention. …So Unknown runs like a taut live set, songs flowing one into another with the band’s masterful control of energy supplying ample twists and turns to keep your body moving without getting bogged down in the obsessive cohesion that increasingly plagues heavy music.

Lead-off “In Constraints” sets the tone. A 2 minute blast of intensity that lets vocalist Aaron Heard flex, but it’s “Fear of Failure” where the band really shows what this album is all about. The tempos shift like quicksand under your feet. Drummer Luis Aponte does impressive work holding it all together. There’s something nearly operatic about the way the band moves beneath Heard’s guttural howls of alienation and rage.

There’s not a second of filler on …So Unknown, but for a record that trades in muscular bouts of heavy riffs and bone shaking vocals, it’s almost shocking that the album’s highlight would be its most vulnerable. “Silver Lining” is one of the few tracks to stretch past the 3 minute mark, and feels practically expansive compared to much of the rest of the album. The tempos are slower, almost nearing groove metal vibes, and build to Heard shouting “us against the world!” in an unexpectedly moving tribute to his young son. Through the band’s willingness to push their ideas and sounds to new depths, with …So Unknown Jesus Piece solidifies their status as one of the most vital bands in hardcore today.

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