Life is a lot for those of us with a sense of moral ground these days. Never mind the hellscape of the news and the collapse of everything that used to sustain us — sometimes Hell is just the needless bullshit from the worst kind of people projecting their poison into your life. A good crew of people who show up for you? It’s getting harder to find them out there, so when you do, you hold onto them.

Lately, that seems to be the going theme with hardcore’s mindset in 2026. We’re seeing bands like HAYWIRE catching fire for being whole-heartedly earnest in serving up hard-hitting anthems with an intense community spirit. HOLY DOSE are on their way, too. For the Tampa sextet collecting three-fifths of the heavy artillery metalcore slayers Contention as well as other scene bands like Dogmatic, the Arrival Note, Afterthought, Yr Glow, Sugar Coat, and Zero Mob, it makes total sense that beyond writing skull-cracking riffs and breakdowns, they need to breathe out in the moment, too.

“Fluorescents” — a highlight from the alternative hardcore band’s recent debut EP, Sharp Decline — doesn’t let the best moments out of sight once they’ve gotten a glimpse of them, yet loudly makes it known how tough it is to grapple with when they’re getting further away from you, too. “Do you know the good times when you’re in them? / Nights spent on cold jagged pavement / When sunlight turns to fluorescents / Anywhere else is heaven,” vocalist Cosmo Vidussi paints the picture grim. It’s those brawny riffs with a chest-bursting backing barreling through the speakers that let’s you know he plans on seeing his way through. There’s no luxury or filter in these views, but it means the world to carry reminders of the people you want to be near. The world burns a little less that way.

HOLY DOSE’s Sharp Decline is available now on New Morality Zine.