Jivembomb are all fun and no frills. With a less than 20 minute run time, satisfyingly aggressive vocals, and heinous riffs, their debut album Ethereal does justice to the current state of hardcore as well as the genre’s past.
Hailing from Baltimore’s rich hardcore scene, Jivebomb have piqued interest with their steadfast live performances and 2022 EP Primitive Desires, both of which exemplified the band’s captivating energy and knack for writing heavy hitting punk songs. With Ethereal, out now on Flatspot Records, they go one step further, delivering a fully formed project that satiates every hardcore fan’s cravings.
From their last EP, the band have grown into a more self assured sound. The overall production of the album lends a hand to this, delivering a full bodied and clean finish. The riffs that ground each track are driving yet catchy, attaining the perfect balance between both descriptors. At face value, there isn’t anything ethereal about the album at all, quite the opposite actually. Yet the steadfast and punchy sound that Jivembomb delivers is ethereal in its own twisted meaning of the word, providing tracks that feel spiritual both in their emotion and drive.
There’s a lot of elements at play on the album, but not so many to where things get gummed up. Jivebomb stick to their guns, which, for them, means writing interesting riffs paired with dynamic drum beats and bass lines that allow the emotions at the core of each track to be felt.
Lead singer Kat Madeira’s vocals are more guttural and intense than ever before. She dives even further than on previous releases into the growliness of her voice, pushing the boundaries. Beneath the beautiful grit and growl of Madeira’s vocals are an array of cerebral lyrics that display yet another juxtaposition to the title of the album, which further drives home the point that the band conveys—that what is ethereal can only be realized through the exorcism of what is contrary to it.
While keeping the lyrics ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation, Madeira’s own voice cuts through, speaking on their own battle between having a fuck-you attitude—stemming from the oppressive expectations people have of them—and their own desires and struggles with identity. On “Wise Choice,” Madeira sings, “Fucking shame a fraud I see right through I said you’re full of shit never be like you … get wise keep you eyes up nothin’ to your words I’m calling your bluff.”
She then turns to a more vulnerable sensibility on “Seraphim,” singing, “I’m bound to you seraphim, faceless nothing compares, touch me become real a gold silhouette blurring my sight want you to be good for me.” The beauty of Madeira’s lyrics jumps out at you when examined more closely, yet another juxtaposition that reveals the complexity of the band’s interpretation of what can be considered ethereal.
Ethereal is not only a great introduction to Jivebomb, but also an astoundingly fun yet thought provoking project that proves just how dynamic hardcore music can be.
