Los Angeles-based hardcore punk group Niis released their debut full-length album, Niis World, via Get Better Records. After signing on with the label last year they released the single “Lovesick” in November 2024, conveying a grungier new era for Niis. At the beginning of this year, the band announced that their inaugural LP, Niis World, would soon arrive.
Following two EPs – Must Be (2022) and Not Niis (2020) – and multiple tours alongside the likes of GBH, Scowl, Gel and more, Niis’ debut full-length release and upcoming Niis World Tour will undoubtedly grant this underrated band the recognition they deserve. Known for the unapologetic and enticing way they tackle themes such as misogyny, the patriarchy, and relationships, Niis’ debut LP has cemented the band as one of hardcore punk’s most prolific rising acts.
Niis World explores a few core topics, including feminism, toxic relationships, and the current state of the world. A rebellious and raging body of work, the album showcases the band’s defining biting lyricism and brutal compositions in a heightened style compared to their previous records.
The album opens with “Low Life,” “The Bow,” and “BYD,” the three singles released ahead of the record. The trio of singles shows how Niis stand out in the modern hardcore scene due to how they blend elements of hardcore with grunge and classic, garage rock influences.
“Low Life” is a grungey, sunny rager, beginning as an anticipatory build-up into a cathartic explosion of ferocity. Exploring themes of betrayal, “Low Life” tells the story of rising above a low-life, subpar man. It sets the tone for the album’s bass-heavy musicality, and establishes the album’s themes of feminism and the freedom that results from overcoming toxic men.
“The Bow” serves as a viscous older sister to “Low Life” as it exudes the primal freedom and catharsis that comes with leaving a toxic relationship. Expressed with a brutality that is undeniably healing, SanDoe balances guttural screams with haunting, melodic vocals, resulting in one of Niis World’s main highlight tracks.
While “BYD” maintains the album’s hard-hitting opening set, the lyrical content makes a slight shift from interpersonal to self-reflective. A furious composition, the lyrics talk about refusing to let somebody into your life for fear of bringing them down. Conveying the true diversity in the many ways Niis explores the complexity of relationships, the track’s intense musicality perfectly captures the chaotic, intrusive thoughts that come with a new, or unhealthy – relationship.
The album then makes a shift into focusing on the world around us. While the album’s opening numbers focus on overcoming unhealthy relationships or toxic men, “Tyrant” focuses on overcoming obstacles both in our society and in ourselves. As lead singer Mimi SanDoe sings, “kill the tyrant in your head, kill the tyrant in your bed,” the band provides commentary on how, when we become slaves to capitalism, we become slaves to our own materialistic desires.
Additional tracks such as “Spite” and “Scatter” follow down this same path, with the former serving as an expression of rejecting the misogynistic pressures and conformities that the patriarchy enforces on women and femmes. SanDoe defiantly sings, “No longer will I exist in spite of you…I cannot change every aspect of myself to benefit you.”
Songs found in the latter half of the record continue to exude the musical diversity that causes Niis to stand out within today’s punk scene. “Driveaway” is undeniably a highlight from the album, exploring the wide range of influences Niis can capture while still maintaining their signature take on hardcore. Infusing somewhat of a bubblegum pop sound – especially in that romantic outro – “Driveaway” sounds like it would blast on the speakers at your local drive-in, if that drive-in was overtaken by punks.
While the track allows Niis to shine in a different light compared to the unrelenting rage found in earlier works like Must Be, for instance, listeners should not mistake this more charming, upbeat musicality for a lack of heaviness. Ultimately, Niis are redefining the genre, joining several modern punk acts who are expanding beyond the boundaries of what we know as hardcore.
As the album closes with “New Pig” and “Wasted,” Niis round out their debut album on a note of intoxicating wrath. “New Pig,” similar to tracks like “Low Life” or “The Bow,” conveys the power of how it feels to rise above and take control over something that has dominated you. Vocal balances of bloodthirsty verses with haunting, melodic choruses, as well as the heavy guitar riffs and percussion backing the track, make this song one that listeners will return to time and time again.
Finally, Niis World ends with “Wasted,” reminding listeners that when we don’t take control of what is trying to control us, we waste a lot of precious time. And we only have so much time in this nice world.
Niis World is the ultimate, cathartic release for anyone who has ever felt powerless and overrun by sinister outside forces. The constant adrenaline rush and seething expression of healing is heard not just through each song’s lyrics, but through their instrumental compositions as well. Songs like “Driveaway” and “Tyrant” show that Niis are adamantly attempting to expand beyond the bounds of hardcore punk, and are doing so flawlessly. The band will never be controlled by a patriarchy’s archetypes, and they will never abide by the limits of a single musical genre.
In terms of the overall production of this record, exceptional bass and drum riffs are featured throughout this album. “STK” serves as a standout track as it includes both a heavy, sludgy bass riff with unrelenting snare drums. Additionally, Niis World captures a musical maturity harnessed by the group.
Ultimately, one of the album’s best features is the vocals of SanDoe. Balancing her signature screams with harmonious vocals, the album overall is an exceptional balance between soft and hard, vulnerable and biting, optimistic and ferocious.
Perhaps the only critique one may find in this album is that it doesn’t include “Lovesick.” While the album doesn’t suffer from this non-album single’s absence, fans might agree that the single served as a defining glimpse of the band’s new musical era.
Whether it’s the fierce independence conveyed in songs like “Scatter,” or the brutal, feminist desires yearned for in “The Bow,” Niis World as a whole is a visceral call to arms, urging listeners to rise above whatever is killing them – whether it be a toxic relationship, personal demons, or the patriarchy. Dripping with feminine rage, Niis World offers crucial commentary on the state of the world, delivering topical themes with scathing vulnerability and divine brutality.
Buy the album here:
https://niisla.bandcamp.com/album/niis-world
9 / 10
JUSTICE PETERSEN
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