post hardcore pioneers quicksand are back with "bring on the psychics"- out now via equal vision and civilians

 New York city's quicksand have been pioneers for the post hardcore genre since their inception in 1990, with 4 full lengths and 3 EPs under their belt, they are no stranger to the game. and now, five years since their last LP "distant populations", Quicksand are back with their highly anticipated 5th full length album, "bring on the psychics", the bands first release with equal vision records.

“For this album, I was going back to a lot of my earlier influences about ‘break down the walls’ or ‘start today,’”

 “Regardless of whether you're into hardcore or youth crew, they're really cool records because they're speaking to the time and providing possible paths to a better future, with mosh parts. That’s the energy that I wanted to bring to this.” 

- Walter Schreifels, guitarist/vocalist

photo by Annette rodriguez

while "bring on the psychics" is everything quicksand do best wrapped in a nice modern package, there are also some little surprises in there. "days you run to" being a standout. beautiful, slow and stripped back, schreifel's soft vocal delivery carries you throughout the song, almost like you're floating on a cloud.

“To me, that is the kind of thing that Fugazi would do on their more chill kind of tunes, It's nice to have something that was more expansive to show the Pink Floyd side of Quicksand.” 

-shreifels on "days you run to"

as well as showcasing them as a band, this album does an incredible job at showing off the technical skill of each of the members as musicians. from the way the vocal melodies in "regenerate" just pull you in right from the jump, to sergio Vega's groovy bass lines in "cool guy" and the hard hitting drums in "agency" played by Alan cage, you can't dispute the undeniable talent that oozes out of this band.

the mark of a truly good album is something that tips what you know about its genre on its head, while still doing it insanely well. at no point does this album play it safe, nor does it feel like the same type of modern post hardcore we are all used to. it feels classic, but also raw. it feels reminiscent to Pink Floyd but also the offspring, yet also modern rock bands like royal blood. there's something in this release for everyone.

overall, "bring on the psychics" has this timeless feel to it , like it could have been released at any point in their career, yet it still feels boundary breaking. its not common that a band from the nineties is still at the top of their game 30 years since they began, but this album can truly attest to that. quicksand have absolutely still got it, and I hope we get to see them on Australian shores sometime soon.