Photo by Matt Fevrier

Sometimes when there are a million new tracks coming down the pipeline, you just want to hear that one thing made with pure passion and conviction behind its beating heart. The return of Koyo honestly feels like it’s coming faster than it really has been, given that the Long Island melodic hardcore band have been touring workhorses since releasing their 2023 breakthrough debut LP, Would You Miss It?, but “Irreversible” — the first single from their sophomore follow-up, Barely There — offers just the right fix at the right time time.

They’re not looking to fuck with the formula they’ve been refining since day one here when it comes to aggressively emotive fixations. In this instance, they’re some choice words from vocalist Joey Chiaramonte wishing everything horrible onto someone who sounds like they did something to deserves that hard comeuppance. Above all else, the way Koyo throws down the personal grudges into the pit with muscular, catchy hooks of substance makes it a real feeling.

Koyo’s Barely There will be released May 8th on Pure Noise Records.