The Witzard

One Step Closer (CREDIT: Spencer Chamberlain) Ahead of an expansive 20-date cross-continental tour, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's own One Step Closer have shared their first new single since their 2021 full-length, This Place You Know . "Dark Blue" finds One Step Closer leaning into the most Melodic Hardcore/Emo elements of their sound without sacrificing an ounce of energy we know and love them for. The song launches into a towering chorus that pushes the band into even more anthemic territory and offers hints at new potential directions in their sound. "Dark Blue" is the start of a compelling new chapter for One Step Closer and listeners should keep an eye out for more from the band in 2023. The group will be on tour for most of the winter with upcoming shows in the US, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, and more through 2022-23. "Earlier this year while driving through The Pacific [Northwest], I was struggling with how much we were about to be touring t...

ANXIOUS 2022 (CREDIT: Rebecca Lader) Since the release of ANXIOUS' debut album, Little Green House, earlier this year, the band hasn't spent much time at home. In support of the record, ANXIOUS has toured relentlessly, playing five consecutive US tours in the eight months since the album was released. That busy schedule has meant ANXIOUS has barely had a moment to stop and catch their collective breath, but that frantic pace, also, inspired them to keep on pushing forward. The result is new single, "Sunsign," a stand-alone single that builds on ANXIOUS' sonic signature and expands the band's sound simultaneously. Sunsign by ANXIOUS On "Sunsign," ANXIOUS—made up of vocalist Grady Allen, guitarist/vocalist Dante Melucci, bassist Sam Allen, drummer Jonny Camner, and a mysterious fifth(?) member—takes yet another step forward. The urgency that carried Little Green House is still there, but it's presented in new, engaging ways. "Sunsign...

CREDIT: Spencer Chamberlain (Ngagency) Choice to Make is a Hardcore band from the ever-growing Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scene, which consists of WORN, One Step Closer, Cold World, Final Descent, Heart Out, Frostbite, True Identity, and more. Choice to Make is made up of members of One Step Closer, Strength for A Reason & WORN; consisting of vocalist Nate, guitarist Caleb, second guitarist Ryan, bassist T.K. and drummer Adam. Nate, Caleb, Ryan, T.K. & Adam previously released a self-titled demo in 2018 on 12Forty Records and a Promo 2019 EP (boasting a Dracula cover!) through Street of Hate fan'zine. Now, they're returned with a new EP entitled Vicious Existence through Baltimore-based Flatspot Records. We recently received a press release from a firm managing Flatspot Records, which readily compares Choice to Make's sound across the EP to "early Biohazard, late 80's Agnostic Front, and Underdog." It does have a bit of an underlying Thrash Metal vibe, co...

Worn are a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania-based Hardcore/Punk band, which have been active since 2016. They're from the same ever-growing Wilkes-Barre Hardcore scene as fellow PAxHC thrashers, One Step Closer, who released their debut EP, FROM ME TO YOU , on Triple-B Records earlier this year. Worn either consists of " Butch - Guitar, Peter - Bass, Ross - Guitar, Caleb - Drums, Dan - Vocals," OR " BRIAN, CALEB, DANIEL, PETER, ROSS ," as both listed on their Bandcamp page. Following this year's NOT YOUR GAME EP release on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre-based label, 12Forty Records , and, apparently, self-released LIVE! ON AXETOGRIND EP , Worn have returned with their latest offering, "TOTAL DISEASE" B​/​W "HARM YOU." TOTAL DISEASE B/W HARM YOU by Worn It was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Wyatt Oberholzer at The Knife Lair with drums performed by Mike Walsh , vocals on "TOTAL DISEASE" performed by Cole Paulson , and artwor...