Planes Mistaken for Stars’ frontman Gered O’Donnell passed away in 2021 from esophageal cancer. Much too soon, and that still fucking sucks ’til this day. The Denver band were a singular force in their approach to crafting a grizzled, evolving amalgamation of blistering second wave emo, post-hardcore, and metal that truly didn’t get the credit it deserved during their first run, while their 2016 comeback held so much promise for it to happen. O’Donnell departed this earth by recording one last album with him at the vocal helm, all while undergoing chemo radiation treatment, and the daunting task for his bandmates to complete it is now past them, as Planes Mistaken for Stars’ final album, Do You Still Love Me?, will be released later this fall. Astutely, “Fix Me”, its lead single, is a catapult of on-the-surface heavy emotions. Themes of life and death that preceded O’Donnell’s passing cave through the sky as the frontman reaches through the void and grasps for something caught between closure and a reconnect. “Swipe these tears / Fix forgiveness / Steal back some years / Just say you love me.” Definitively, it’s Planes Mistaken for Stars at their most awesomely broken.

Planes Mistaken for Stars’ Do You Still Love Me? will be released November 1st on Deathwish Inc.