Letters. It’s all about letters. A series of handwritten thoughts, captured in time. When Crystal Park sat down to write the lyrics for Initiate’s new EP, she saw it as a series of intimate conversations, each signed with the valediction ‘With Love // With Rage’.
In many ways writing letters seems at odds with circle pits, sticky floors and sweat-stained air but then Initiate aren’t your typical hardcore band. Their 2023 album ‘Cerebral Circus’ proved they had something to say while operating inside the genre’s confines. In 2025 they released the single ‘Too Much’. It was a promise, a note. It suggested a different direction, post-metal, but it was a sealed envelope. This EP takes a step back, revisiting the sounds and ideas the album was built around and tightens the screws. It’s signed with a kiss.
‘Burn After Reading’ is a passionate love letter written to hardcore. With a punchy introduction, and a rapid d-beat from drummer John Hodge, it feels like a classic, but with the...
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