Baltimore-based hardcore punk group Jivebomb released their debut full-length record Ethereal via Flatspot Records. Clocking in at just 15 minutes, the group’s inaugural LP is a heavy-hitting, unrelenting body of work that cements the group as one of the genre’s most brutal and poetic up-and-coming acts. 

Following the start of the pandemic, Jivebomb made their musical debut with the release of their 2021 EP Demo. The following year, their sophomore EP, Primitive Desires, arrived. Over the years, the Maryland natives gained popularity for both their high-energy music as well as their insane live shows. Now, with the release of their full-length debut, the band are bringing their signature intensity to new, unexplored levels.

One might think the term “ethereal” would represent the exact opposite of Jivebomb’s artistry. However, this sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth. Rather than opposites, the dreamlike connotations of “ethereal” and the chaotic brutality of the hardcore group are simply two sides of the same coin.

Providing a more guttural, hard-hitting sense to the term, the words and compositions found on Jivebomb’s debut full-length work are themselves derived from a dreamlike state of mind, pulling poetic lyrics together with adrenaline-spiking riffage to create something never before seen in hardcore punk’s modern sonic landscape. The songs themselves – none of them toppling over the two-minute mark – are quick and intense, not too dissimilar from a dream that fades away immediately upon returning to consciousness.

The album opens with “THE IMPACT,” a distorted number composed of different samples and lead singer Kat Madeira delivering the lyrics, “Don’t get it twisted, get it right,” setting the album’s precedent that this body of work is not to be underestimated. The following track and the album’s second single, “ESTRELA,” slams through with an unprecedented sonic intensity. Inspired by Madeira’s love for Billie Holiday and her song “Gloomy Sunday,” “ESTRELA” is an authentic hardcore rager expressing the empowerment that comes with taking ownership of your life – and letting your old self die.

Madeira sings, “Angels have no thoughts of returning the old me // You stay there complacent // You chose your reality,” telling listeners that her rebirth is real, and we are the bringers of our own misfortune.

The lyrics contained in each track of Ethereal are brief, with songs like “THE IMPACT” or “FATES DOMAIN” only lasting a single verse. However, it was Shakespeare who said brevity is the soul of wit. It is the quick, fast-paced intensity that Jivebomb have successfully harnessed, adding a deeper level of dreamlike viscousness to their artistry.

It is not just their profound lyrical expression that sets Jivebomb apart from the rest. One cannot walk away from Jivebomb without the low, growling vocals of Madeira leaving a lasting impact. Adding yet another poetic layer to the dreamy concept of ETHEREAL, Madeira’s vocals remain with the listener long after the album is through, following you around much like a strange, unforgettable dream from the night before.

Jivebomb also bring together multiple elements to craft their own blend of hardcore, mixing elements of metalcore and heavy metal to create something simultaneously dark and inviting. The band has also masterfully pulled intricate nuances into their record that make every repeat listen an introduction to something unheard the previous time.

Whether its the classic metal guitar solo at the end of the yearning “SERAPHIM (MARINA’S SONG)” or the snippets of samples put together at both the top and bottom of the album in “THE IMPACT” and “DISFIGURED IDENTITY,” respectfully, it is clear that Ethereal was an extremely intentional body of work.

Each song on the album is delivered with a sense of urgency, seeming to desperately encourage all who listen that there is something better on the horizon. Ethereal is undoubtedly a defining body of work and a brutally bold debut from JIVEBOMB, serving as a darkly poetic and visceral exploration of hardcore’s never-ending sonic identity.

Buy the album here:
https://flatspotrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fsr81-ethereal

8 / 10
JUSTICE PETERSEN
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