Hardcore for hardcore.

Reinventing the wheel only truly needs to happen when there is something wrong with the wheel. Many times, a tried and true formula paired with an undeniable amount of heart and impressive songwriting is all that it takes to make something truly impactful. In 2019, Restraining Order delivered on this exact premise with their stellar debut LP This World Is Too Much - an uncompromising record that demanded attention, while never once directly seeking it out. What Restraining Order brought to the table wasn’t some grand new concept, but unapologetic hardcore punk that was delivered with impeccable attention to detail at breakneck speeds.

Amid somewhat of a renaissance period for hardcore, Restraining Order have returned with another helping of their brand of fast and unrelenting hardcore punk in Locked In Time. Picking up right where This World Is Too Much left off (the album opener is quite literally a reprisal of the final track from the previous record, “Addicted to This Life”), Restraining Order wastes no time welcoming the listener into their world. The band breezes through the twelve song tracklist at a blistering pace, never allowing enough time for an idea to become stale or overstay its welcome. A large amount of the record remains in familiar territory for the band, but with a few welcome surprises added throughout the track list. From the wah used on the lead guitar in the chorus of “Addicted (Reprise)” to the acoustic verses of the title track, Restraining Order are expanding their collective sonic palette while honing in on what has made them one of the most recognizable young bands in modern hardcore.

While being an exceptionally brief listen, Locked In Time is full of honestly remarkable moments. Nearly every track on this record contains a hook that feels utterly anthemic, even amidst some of the more chaotic offerings like the frantic “Inmates” or “On the Run”. Singles “Fight Back” and “Misled” feel like timeless future classics, while “Another Better Day” and “Painted World” show the band experimenting with more melodic elements, and paving their own way in the process.

With Locked In Time, Restraining Order have once again created an immediately gratifying hardcore punk record without a dull moment in sight. Angry, forward-thinking, and utterly enjoyable at every turn; this is the sound of a band finding what makes them different while celebrating everything that has led them to this point.

7/10