The Riot Before

There will always be a place for a band that want to play loud, fast and sing with meaning. In 2010, the heirs to the throne of the gruff punk scene that Hot Water Music helped build is Richmond, VA's the Riot Before. From the pounding drums in the discordant noise intro to the final chorus of album highlight "To Live How We Believe," the Riot Before are unrelenting in their musical quest. Rebellion boasts ten awesome, angry compositions, any of which could be the sing-along anthems disillusioned punks yell at one another over a case of beer ten years later. Brett Adams' lyrics anchor the band's success; the anguish in his voice feels genuine as he yells out his personal struggles as if it's some form of therapy. This band are everything that we have come to love about punk rock: they're hardworking, they play fast and they sing about real problems.