If you’re going through it, then throwing on Locked In Time will help you get through to the other end – or at the very least in all its ugly, coarse, electric hardcore punk sizzle session, match your energy as you get there. Whereas the current narrative of the scene revolves around pushing genre boundaries beyond rockism, Restraining Order aren’t as concerned with flashy impressions. That works to their favor here as the Western Mass and Connecticut scene collective follow gut checks on their sophomore effort. It’s something which vocalist Patrick Cozens, bassist Keith Freeman, drummer Will Hirst, and guitarists Dylan Tobia, Kyle Beaudreault and Jake Miller established as their primal M.O. on their 2019 debut full-length, The World Is Not Enough, but in this phase, level up in focus as well as transferring perspective on all that serves to damage you. That bastion of life threatening to stop you mid-track with brick walls? They’re met with a faster and bigger-fisted hook-bound intensity with a bit more polish on its knuckles than its predecessor, smashing through it with ease. Inner chaos? Its stews at a concentrated, near-psychedelic groove that’s intentional, allowing Cozens to mine the place of self-awareness among that which is out of one’s control, bringing to mind the progression of CEREMONY as a speed-ball early on before gradually sawing down their corners with razor-sharp edges. There’s a lot of rubble left in Restraining Order’s quake as they keep moving forward despite whatever stands in their way. Consider Locked In Time free therapy in how to let the bad times roll.

Highlights: “Misled”, “Another Better Day”, “Locked In Time”

Restraining Order’s Locked In Time is available now on Triple B Records.

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