One Step Closer have returned with the announcement of their new album, Zero, arriving February 19th via Run For Cover Records. To celebrate, the Wilkes-Barre post-hardcore heroes are sharing not one but two new tracks from the upcoming release, "Blue Hour" and "Was It Ever Enough?".
When you find yourself at a One Step Closer show, the possibilities are endless and the only thing you know for sure is that the band will be leaving it all on stage, pouring their guts out through some of the most emotionally-charged hardcore imaginable, regardless of whatever freewheeling chaos is happening around them. Zero captures that core spirit of the band–an uncrushable drive to create moments, to feel all of the bad and the good, to take the hard times and turn them into something cathartic, to not just let life pass by unnoticed.
This ethos is clearer than ever on lead singles “Blue Hour” and “Was It Ever Enough?”, along with their connected music videos both directed by the band. “Blue Hour” begins at dusk–it’s the boldest sonic step in One Step Closer’s career so far and it explodes into a raucous climax as the band plays on a homemade skate ramp with friends providing DIY pyrotechnics in the form of fireworks and lighter + aerosol can combinations. It’s the perfect mix of “do not try this at home” insanity and hyper earnest emotionality that OSC excel at. Then the sun rises on Wilkes Barre and “Was It Ever Enough?” kicks off with circle-pit pacing and jagged guitar riffs that eventually break down into a groovy, sing-along outro in classic One Step Closer fashion.
Zero follows One Step Closer's 2024 full-length All You Embrace which drew acclaim from the likes of Stereogum, Uproxx, BrooklynVegan, FLOOD Magazine and more, and the new record continues to boldly expand their sound. Recorded by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, The Story So Far, Drain, Koyo), Zero feels like One Step Closer's most anthemic work to date, a collision of ambitious, emotionally-charged songwriting, and biting hardcore spirit. The band have never been shy about incorporating melody into their sound but Zero centers vocalist Ryan Savitski's singing voice as much as his fierce roar, adding even more dynamics to the band's post-hardcore churn. There’s also a palpable sadness that sits at the heart of Zero. “This may have been the hardest year for us, and that’s reflected in the songs” says Savitski. “There’s so much desperation on this record but I think people can relate to that–these songs will always mean something different to me than everyone else, no one is living the same exact experiences, but I want people to take these songs and mold them to fit their own.”
But of course the magic of One Step Closer is their ability to take those darker feelings and mold them into music that pulls you up off the ground. On Zero the band found inspiration in what they call “older brother music". While definitions may vary depending on your siblings’ music taste, for Savitski and guitarist Ross Thompson this term is inspired by printing Mapquest directions to a VFW show, music video blocks on Steven’s Untitled Rock Show, burned CDs with songs ripped from Myspace, and jumping a fence to sneak into Warped Tour in 2005–a highly caffeinated, poorly hydrated lifestyle from days long gone. And in much the same way that the previous generation expressed themselves against a backdrop of post-9/11 global crisis, OSC find themselves trying to capture their version of catharsis in a similarly scary and uncertain time. “I think there’s just a general sense of doom that I’m left feeling every time I turn on the TV or look on social media,” Savitski says, “and this record reflects the impact that has on my own mental state.”
Zero tracklist:
1. Numb With Sleep
2. Until You Bloom
3. About a Boy
4. August
5. Blue Hour
6. Write My Wrongs
7. Drowning Skies
8. Was It Ever Enough?
9. A Fleeting Face
10. “For Them”
Upcoming Shows:
10/30 London, ON @ London Music Hall *
10/31 Montreal, QC @ MTELUS *
11/01 Ottawa, ON @ History *
11/03 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
11/04 Portland, ME @ State Theatre *
11/06 Providence, RI @ The Strand *
11/07 New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall *
11/09 Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall *
11/10 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore *
11/11 Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall *
11/13 Miami, FL @ Miami Beach Bandshell *
11/14 Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ^
11/15 Orlando, FL@ Vans Warped Tour *
11/17 New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre *
11/19 Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company *
11/20 Nashville, TN @ The Truth *
12/12 Los Angeles, CA @ For the Children Fest
12/19 New York, NY @ Warsaw +
12/20 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts +
01/29 Barcelona, Spain @ Can’t Keep Us Down Fest
* w/ Hot Mulligan, Riley!, wakelee
^ w/ Pain of Truth, Madball, Rotting Out
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