Written Before Listen
Turnstile is a band that I’ve yet to hear about until recently. They’ve been making waves in the punk realm with their new album over here “Glow On” and I’m here for it. For a person who’s a fan of the Hardcore and Post-Hardcore legends, I might love this. With that being said, let’s see what this album is all about.
Production
This album Is produced by a notable producer of Dr. Dre’s. Mike Elizondo. Personally, the production might be one of the best aspects of this album. There are surely sometimes where records like this are brought down by lackluster production but Elizondo brings unique effects to the table alongside various digital instrumentation and clever panning. When it’s all said and done though, it still sounds raw and complete like an alternative rock record should.
Influences
There is a lot of influences that go toward this record. Personally, there are a lot of clear influences from artists like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and Refused. It’s not just that either, there are a lot of influences that I’ve seen made that make absolute sense after being mentioned. For example, the raw guitar tone and jelly vocal delivery are very similar to that of Rage Against The Machine. The dream-pop parts of this album are obvious Beach House worship and the hardcore parts could be taking influence from Black Flag. For a person who likes all of these artists’ styles of music, I think Turnstile does it all well.
Genre-Bending
Turnstile is not just a rock group, nor just a punk group. They also take influence from other genres. For example, Songs like “Underwater Boi” and “Alien Love Call” take the dreamier and more psychedelic side of alternative rock while “Blackout” and “Don’t Play” go into metal territory. What I’m trying to say is that alongside the 90s Alt Rock and Post-Hardcore they carry, they also give a lot of elements of Dream Pop, Psychedelia, and Metal. They are more than just a punk band.
Style
It’s not just what they do with these genres either, sometimes it’s how they do it. The punk influence is with the drum fills, attitude, and bravado and the dream-pop influence is with the clean guitar tones and Blood Orange features. The metal influence is more towards the Faith No More/RATM range as the metal sound they diverge in is secluded to one style of metal. The cohesion with all of these influences combines pretty well too. It’s just one hell of a record.
Cons
One thing I will say is that this album does feel incomplete at points. With its quick 180s, the massive variety of influences, and ambition, the album can come scattered. Other than that, Glow On is a mysterious alt-rock record with psychedelic undertones, punk ethos, and 90s flare that I enjoy.
Verdict
Wow. I’m glad I checked this out. This is easily one of my favorite alternative rock records to come out this year. This thing is insanely impressive. I don’t know what direction Turnstile took before this, but I look forward to seeing what they can do in the future.
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