Just Before The Drop: #20
Featuring: Who, Is Me, The Starting Line, Dropkick Murphys and more. Check out the newest issue of your weekly, curated modern punk & hardcore music recommendations.
Hi everyone!
We’re back after a couple weeks of grinding and recharging, and guess what - this is our 20th issue! To celebrate, we’ve got two big announcements: first, we’re putting together a special edition of the Top 20 tracks from issues 1-20, and second - the more important one - we will collect them along with our brand-new podcast that is launching super soon. We’ll drop all the details on when, where, and how in the next update, so please stay tuned. Oh, yeah, one more, we’re opening all of the previous issues on public, so you can check them without any special paid plan.
But right now, we’ve got another killer batch of fresh music recommendations from the past few weeks. Strap in and let’s dive!
Enjoy, Lukas & Adi.
In the Name of the Father
by PRESIDENT | picked by Lukas
A few months back, feeds on Reddit and Twitter lit up with grainy teasers: four figures in identical rubber masks, dressed head-to-toe in black chic, marching through red-lit corridors. No names, no faces - just a booming tagline: “This is your PRESIDENT.” Fans lost it, speculating everything from Sleep Token off-shoots to secret supergroups. Then, out of literally nowhere, they locked in a Download Festival slot - before a single note dropped- cementing that mystery hype train.
When May 15 rolled around, President finally pulled back the curtain with their debut single, In the Name of the Father. Right from the opening guitar strum - dark, deliberate, almost ritualistic - you know you’re in for something big. Clean, autotuned vocals drift over those low-end chords before snapping into savage screams and breakdowns. It’s melodic, pop-infused metalcore at its finest: the hooks are huge, the production razor-sharp, and yet there’s enough gritty texture to satisfy the underground heads.
People reactions were generally quite positive, they appreciated the new and fresh concept that might be a good interlude into the predictable scene drops. We hope this will brings us something different and worth hooking for a moment or two.
What works really well is the contrast between the creepy masked character and the emotional melodic vocals and relatable lyrics.
Check out previous issues of Just Before The Drop!
Devil In My Mind
by Who, Is Me | picked by Lukas
After a few (from 2022) lineup shifts, and the departure of founding member Ben Ferris in March, Woe, Is Me regrouped around Hance Alligood’s soaring cleans and a fresh rhythm section. Their SBG Records deal promised a third album in 2025 and set the stage for a series of singles - Here’s to Me (A Story to Tell Pt. 2) in April and now this May 23 drop, Devil In My Mind.
It’s not a brand-new band or some radical new sound - this is classic Woe, Is Me, firing on all cylinders with the same spirit we fell for years ago. Yes, the lineup’s shifted, but the cleans, the screams, the trademark rhythms (and that little country twang) are all right here.
They’ve given these elements a fresh coat of paint-tighter arrangements, slicker production - without messing with the core pace or structure. And honestly, that’s exactly what I wanted: new music from a group that don’t drop tracks every day. Their style was always unique, original, and unapologetically - and this new single proves they’ve still got it. Great to have them back!
Jim Jones - Cowards, pt. 2
by Chevelle | picked by Adi
Chevelle’s first album in four years - and the tenth in their discography - drops in mid-August. For a while now, the band has officially been a duo: brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler, who founded the group back in the ’90s. Since their last record, bassist Kemble Walters has been joining them onstage. In these close-knit circumstances they’re crafting music that feels anything but small-scale. On one hand, this is a band that has sold over six million albums worldwide. On the other, Chevelle’s sound remains as “stifling and filthy” as ever, steeped in the band’s unmistakable style.
What makes the new album even more intriguing is that it’s their first self-released effort. Drummer Sam Loeffler admits:
This is the hardest thing we’ve ever done. It probably won’t make financial sense, but we’re doing it anyway so we can say we pulled it off.
If you don’t want them to crash and burn, spin Jim Jones or their earlier single Rabbit Hole to back the Illinois brothers’ new venture - Chevelle fans have waited far too long for a record as powerful as an Illinois windstorm.
I Care
by Turnstile | picked by Adi
Turnstile have been hyping us nonstop for weeks, dropping single after single - then in early June they finally unleashed their fourth full-length, Never Enough. It’s a wild mash-up of fresh punk energy, ’90s alt-rock vibes, and splashes of pop and funk, and yeah, it’s split some of the die-hard heads who remember them at their rawest. But let’s be real - it’d be crazy to say Turnstile have lost their edge. Their live shows still obey one rule: survival of the fittest - especially up front, where shoes and bodies fly off the stage as fans go full send.
What blows my mind is how effortlessly these Marylanders navigate such different sounds and somehow make it all click. On Never Enough you get the high-octane smack of Birds alongside the more melodic, almost folk-tinged groove of I Care. And yet the whole record hangs together like a single, bullet-proof thread.
They’re touring through Europe right now, so if they roll through your town - or even if they’re just a thousand klicks away - lace up your toughest kicks and get to the show. Trust me, their claws aren’t dulled - they’ve just grown bigger, polished with a slick new shine.
Sense of Humor
by The Starting Line | picked by Adi
There are bands you can go years without hearing, but the second they come back, you’re hitting “like” blind and grinning like an idiot. That’s exactly how it feels with this Pennsylvania crew. They reunited in 2012, but only now are they dropping their fourth full-length. Ironically titled Eternal Youth, it lands at the end of September.
Back in April, they announced their first headliner tour in 17 years - also called Eternal Youth - and they’re bringing Armor For Sleep, Finch, Knucklepuck, and Real Friends along for the ride. Be honest: seeing those first two names probably made you feel ancient, right?
Think about it - it’s been 18 years since Starting Line’s last LP hit shelves, and now they’re back together in the original lineup. Vocalist Ken Vasoli says:
Getting back on our feet after nearly two decades wasn’t easy, especially as the same five guys. But here we are! The title of our new single sums up what’s kept us going all these years: you need a sense of humor to survive the music industry’s absurdities and everyday life. We’ll do whatever it takes to come back strong - I feel like we’ve never been tighter as a band.
Pumped? Good. Now grab a boombox, walk up to your crush’s house, and blast Sense Of Humor at full volume.
Traveler
by Jamie’s Elsewhere | picked by Lukas
Looks like we just get another great come back. Five years after their last full-band outing, they’ve reunited with Aaron Pauley and just dropped their new EP, Alchemical, on June 20 via SharpTone Records.
Traveler kicks off Alchemical with massive, palm-muted grooves that instantly lock into a throbbing, futuristic pulse (as of the video). Beneath the crunch of Matt Scarpelli’s riffs, synths and electronic textures weave in and out - an underbelly that gives the whole track a sci-fi sheen without drowning its post-hardcore roots. When the chorus hits, Pauley’s clean vocals soar above the mix, delivering a hook so immediate you’ll be singing it long before the breakdowns land.
If you dive into the rest of the EP, you’ll find the same driving beats and atmospheric layers that Traveler introduced. Each track carries Jamie’s Elsewhere’s signature mix of synth-electro-infused melodies and crushing breakdowns, yet still brings its own unique twist. I love how the whole thing feels like one cohesive trip - every song flows into the next, making for a solid, unified statement. My favorite so far - Like Silver. Can’t wait to hear what they do next.
Seriously, it’s awesome to have them back!
Starting Overt
by Nevertel | selected by Lukas
Nevertel didn’t just burst onto the scene - they’ve been grinding since 2014 out of Tampa, Florida, where three high-school buddies locked in a sound that blends nu-metal, hard rock, hip-hop, and EDM into one seamless package.
Early DIY hustle saw them self-producing their debut-follow Deep Down EP (2018), sharpening their knack for catchy hooks. By 2021’s Everything In My Mind, they’d racked up over 900K weekly streams and built a 600K-strong online community, proof that their genre-fusing formula resonated worldwide.
In March 2024, Nevertel leveled up by signing with Epitaph Records - an ideal home for a band that toes the line between arena-ready anthems and underground grit. Their first Epitaph single, Losing Faith cracked the Mainstream Rock chart, and they’ve continued that momentum with the self-produced Starting Over.
This very one kicks off with its electronic intro, unfolding into those melodic synth–tinged guitar lines. Just when you’re settling into the clean verses, Raul’s rap section drops in - such a fresh twist that hooked me instantly. It’s breezy, unexpected, and that moment alone was enough to lock this track into my rotation. Great stuff!
Bathroom Floor
by As December Falls | selected by Lukas
We had them here couple weeks before …. Hailing from Nottingham, As December Falls built their flow on raw honesty and dynamics that swing from intimate verses to arena-sized choruses. Front(wo)man Bethany Hunter’s voice cuts through the mix with just the right blend of vulnerability and power. Musically they blend electronics, alternative riffs and punk-influenced melodic verse arrangements.
Another single from their loudly upcoming album dives straight into that post-breakup haze. Bethany explains it’s about:
[…] when you come out of a bad relationship, after taking the plunge on someone you knew wasn’t quite right… then moving into recognising the red flags.
What hooks me here is how they stitch these parts together into one cohesive snow-ball. It never feels boring - every riff, every synth dab, every shout builds on that central theme. The production keeps it polished without losing that sweaty, sticky-floor energy. And so, they may catching up visually (watch the clips) here and there, but overall it’s a nice piece of music that defenses itself … a bit over 30 days to the release. Great stuff ahead.
Who Stands With Us?
by Dropkick Murphys | selected by Adi
If you’re planning to drop your new album on July 4th, you’re either a humble American patriot or you’re looking to make a statement against the powers that be. I don’t think I need to tell you which camp the legends of Celtic punk rock fall into. Once again, they’re serving up a healthy dose of protest - targeting both the oligarchs and the oppression crushing the working class.
When the billionaires and bro-ligarchs get done neutering society, what’s left for the rest of us? they ask, dripping in sarcasm. But make no mistake - this record will tackle serious subjects head-on. I think about my kids and their future says the frontman.
We’ve never shied away from speaking out on the things that trouble or worry us. We cover social injustice, and sometimes we just want to tell the people we love how much they mean to us.
Guests on the new album include former vocalist Al Barr - he won’t appear on What Stands With Us but you will hear him on the track The Vultures Circle High.
He chose to spend more time with his family, but he’ll always be part of ours …
… says Ken Casey.
Boys Will Be Boys
by Booze & Glory | picked by Adi
Booze & Glory cut their teeth as part of the Polish expat scene in the UK - three friends landed in London around 2009 and never looked back. They proudly weave oi! into punchy riffs and chant-along choruses, dubbing themselves “modern British Oi!” Sure, there’re songs about grabbing a pint, but they’re just as passionate about the working-class roots they share - and about the club they bleed for, West Ham United.
Despite the raw edge, this crew stays firmly on the “light side”, steering clear of right-wing skinhead politics and keeping things non-political. Come September, they’ll drop their sixth full-length - and their first in six years - so it’s high time we checked in on how the Polish diaspora is holding it down across the pond!
And finally, the full playlist! 🤘
You can play it along, or just save within your Spotify account. Be safe, Lukas & Adi.