L.S. Dunes has never been a band to tiptoe. From their incendiary riot in 2022 at Riot Fest to the raw, unyielding energy of Past Lives, they've established a domain in which post-hardcore nostalgia meets fearless reinvention. Now, with "Violet," their new single, the supergroup, which includes members of My Chemical Romance, Thursday, Coheed, Cambria, and other notable acts, steps courageously forward with a bigger, more emotionally dynamic sound.
Produced by two-time Grammy-nominated Will Yip, "Violet" is a revelation! If Past Lives was full of turmoil and release, Violet has a fleeting feeling of recalibration and gravity. This evolution is crystalized in the album's title track, contrasting its chorus of soaring melodies with an undercurrent of raw vulnerability. There's a gravity to "Violet," a sense of reckoning, and a cannot-be-denied sense of hope threaded throughout its intricate instrumentation and impassioned vocals.
With the steady pump of "Machines," the searing incendiary bruising of "Paper Tigers," and the wrenching rawness of "Forgiveness," Violet showcases L.S. Dunes' ability to restrain the envelope-pushing tendencies while remaining true to themselves. It's a record that welcomes you, begs you to experience everything, and alters you when it's over. As the world sometimes feels more chaotic and uncertain, Violet is a necessary salve of resilience, magic, and cathartic release.