Angel Du$t – Cold 2 The Touch
Album Review
If hardcore is supposed to stay in its lane, Angel Du$t have spent the better part of a decade gleefully driving straight through the guardrail. Cold 2 The Touch doesn't just ignore genre boundaries it laughs at them, cranks the stereo louder, and speeds off into the sunset with a pocket full of hooks and a busted skateboard in the trunk.
There's still plenty of the band's hardcore DNA coursing through these songs, but it's filtered through bright power pop melodies, scrappy alt-rock, and enough carefree swagger to make the whole thing feel like the soundtrack to the last great summer before adulthood finally catches up. Rather than chasing brutality, Angel Du$t chase moments those two minute bursts of melody that stick in your head long after the distortion fades.
Justice Tripp sounds completely at ease balancing grit with vulnerability. His vocals shift effortlessly between ragged shouts and warm, melodic choruses, giving Cold 2 The Touch an emotional pull that never feels forced. Every track feels lean and purposeful, with riffs that hit hard enough for the pit while choruses beg to be screamed from the passenger seat with the windows down. It's proof that "catchy" doesn't have to mean "safe."
The real magic lies in how effortlessly the record moves. One minute you're getting stomping hardcore grooves, the next you're knee deep in jangly guitars and sunny harmonies that owe as much to '90s alternative rock as they do to East Coast hardcore. Somehow, none of it feels stitched together. Angel Du$t make these stylistic detours sound completely natural, creating an album that's constantly surprising without ever losing its identity.
At a time when so many bands are desperate to prove how heavy they are, Cold 2 The Touch reminds us that confidence doesn't need to shout. It's loud when it needs to be, melodic when it wants to be, and fun throughout a rare combination that feels increasingly rebellious in today's heavy music landscape. Angel Du$t continue to prove they're one of hardcore's most unpredictable success stories, and this latest chapter is another reminder that the best bands are the ones brave enough to evolve.
Rating: 7/10
by
Michael Benesh