Holy Tongues "Weak People"

Baltimore, Maryland's HOLY TONGUES is comprised of three members of the legendary hardcore band, RUINER; a band that made a name in the '00s via two LPs on Bridge 9 Records. On their debut LP, "Weak People", the trio _ guitarist/vocalist Dustin Thornton, bassist/vocalist Stephen Smeal, and drummer Joey Edwards _ evolve out of the hardcore zone of its previous band and into a realm of sledgehammer rhythms, churning low-end, and radiant textures. As the instrumentation veers between Jesus Lizard stomp and Quicksand drive, Thornton and Smeal share vocals _ jaded but still painfully earnest, they reflect on the past and assess the present through lyrics like: "I used to be a bright light / I used to shine the way / But I'm fading every day / I'm just crooked teeth and bad tattoos / That's all I'll ever be to you / And I feel so awkward in my skin / We all live in the shadows / Of the statues of our former selves." At times melancholy, at times downright epic, there is a relentless forward