SILVERSTEIN are:

Shane Told  |  Paul Koehler  |  Billy Hamilton  |  Paul Marc Rousseau  |  Josh Bradford

Just after celebrating 20 years together, legendary post-hardcore outfit Silverstein hits us with a standout, anthemic new single and video - “Bankrupt”.

Last year’s milestone marked two decades of relentlessly pushing themselves from their underground roots to becoming one of the most influential bands in their scene. As Silverstein set out on their official worldwide 20th Anniversary Tour to celebrate, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, forcing them, along with so many others, to drop everything and take shelter back in their respective hometowns. As 2020 took a turn to being a horrible time for most, the band were hit with an onslaught of rage as they watched the select few in elevated positions leverage their power, and opportunistically kick us while we were down.

Rage turned inspiration, Silverstein continued to write throughout lockdown - “Bankrupt” being the first look into those sessions. The track proves the bands’ roots in punk are firm in place. Guitarist and songwriter Paul Marc explains, “I don’t know how to feel anything but rage anymore. The rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. Wages are stagnant, tuition costs are rising, jobs are being automated/off-shored, costs of a home are laughable in most major cities. The walls feel like they’re closing in and escape is starting to feel impossible. Two-faced leaders and greedy elected officials line their pockets while stripping funding for the programs that we actually need. What are we supposed to do now? Looking out for one another on a community level is good, but changing a crooked system is better.”

“Bankrupt” is available via UNFD across all digital platforms today along with its video, directed by longtime friend and collaborator, Wyatt Clough.

While many bands would take their 20-year anniversary as an opportunity to rest on the laurels of nostalgia, Silverstein saw the landmark as a time to appreciate how far they’ve come, while also channeling all those years of experience into something new. Their latest album, 2020’s A Beautiful Place To Drown found the band deftly balancing their core sound—an intensely dynamic mix of melody and aggression, rooted in the energy of hardcore punk and the unabashed earnestness of emo—with their natural growth as songwriters and evolving inspirations.

Recorded with producer/engineer Sam Guaiana, the album’s 12 tracks blend vibrant contemporary sonics with walls of distorted guitars and pummeling drums to create a sound that’s stunningly cohesive, and undeniably Silverstein. The latter songs feature two of the album’s numerous guest spots, which seem particularly representative of the band’s past, present, and future. Old friends (Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie, Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo, and Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier) and new ones (Interval’s Aaron Marshall, and Princess Nokia) make appearances that feel like a celebration of the band’s wide-reaching impact as well as their ability to win over listeners in all worlds of music.