On their explosive debut, up-and-coming hardcore outfit Ten More Minutes exploded into the alternative rock scene with "Victim (Never Turn Your Back)." The track thrashes with intention and is buttressed by undiluted openness and an abrasive, cutting sound. That's a debut statement that makes noise but also leaves room for a band's guest list that's not afraid to mix openness with volume.
Originally hailing from Harichovce, Slovakia, and now based in Copenhagen, Ten More Minutes is a brother-led band with a global feel. Life took brothers Lubomir (lead guitar) and Adrian Cuj (vocals/bass) to Denmark, and their musical endeavors peeled into another direction from the one they had started. With drummer Simon Mygind and guitarist Pedro Acker, the four of them pooled resources and influences to conjure a sound that strikes the middle ground between pop-punk urgency, pop-rock hooks, and alternative rock introspection.
"Victim (Never Turn Your Back)" epitomizes that fusion with bracing directness. The song crashes in with emotional urgency and a jolting riff and sucks home listeners down a rabbit hole of inner turmoil, strength, and betrayal. Lubomir's voice is gruff, as if he's finally offloading a story he's carried for too long, while Adrian's scorching guitar work punctuates each chorus with laser-guided chaos. Simon's drumming provides a taut and focused pulse. Pedro fills in the edges, carrying a complementary rhythm that feels tight and unpredictable.
It's one of those songs you can feel on a smoke-filled stage in a dingy club, sweaty, loud, cathartic. But using its anthemic architecture as a guide, this band has definitely gone away and come back for a reason. The weight of that journey from a tiny town in Slovakia to Denmark's alt-rock underground can be heard in each beat. In "Victim (Never Turn Your Back)," Ten More Minutes shows that time, distance, and change haven't softened their approach. This is a warning for a debut, and Ten More Minutes has just begun.
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