In 2017, a new hardcore band called Deathbreaker came on the scene via Facedown Records and made a strong first impression. Despite said impression, 2018 and 2019 were rather quiet years for the Washingtonians. But now they’re back with their sophomore outing, Isolate, and they’re out to regain their momentum.

Isolate is an almost non-stop audio assault, with a brash, relatively amelodic hardcore sound that would pair nicely with the latest from Nothing Left. The dissonance and double bass of “Choke” is a great example, and of the album’s best tracks. “Pit Viper” and “Hollow” are also both solid and heavy songs that make for great bookends that display who the band is - not just stylistically, but also thematically, as the opener rails against the notion of man trying to fix himself, only to make himself worse for it, and the latter calls out someone looking for satisfaction in the world at any cost (“You kept looking for what you thought would make you whole, well you found it, and all it cost you was your soul”). Deathbreaker is definitely a Kingdom-focused band, and they use their platform well.

There’s a lot to like about Isolate, especially if you’re looking for a no-nonsense hardcore album with an unapologetic style and message. I do hope their third album comes a little quicker than their second did, but if not, this will be an enjoyable one to chew on until then.