One of the most exciting bands of the last five years returns with their second album.

Underestimate Pinkshift at your peril. There is a fierce amount of intelligence at work here. The three bandmembers all met at Johns Hopkins University. Two were studying medicine with an eye on a career in neurosurgery and the other wanted to be a chemical engineer. The band name is a play on the physics phenomenon of redshift. You don’t drop out of those kind of university courses unless you are very confident that you will succeed in your other interests. When first dabbling in music their second single ‘i’m gonna tell my therapist on you’ went viral via Reddit and they decided to go for it.

A series of EPs and an album followed. They played Reading Festival in 2023 and remain one of my “probably should have gone to” bands.

Their debut album was fantastic in a pop-punk kind of way, a bit Paramore at times. The new album has upped the riffage hugely. This is a heavy album, really heavy at times. It doesn’t quite go full Knocked Loose but they cite that band as an influence on the new record and it shows.

‘Anita Ride’ is the beating heart of the album, a stunning centrepiece that captures their development as a live band over the last three years.

The new hardcore influences shine through in ‘Don’t Fight.’ Paul Vallejo takes lead vocals for the first time, doing an excellent job, whilst Ashrita Kumar screams the choruses in a manner that would make Poppy proud.

Much of this album is thrillingly foot to the floor. Of the non-single tracks ‘Love It Here,’ ‘Freefall,’ and ‘Something More’ all maintain furiously high energy levels. There is a contrast though, a softer side that comes through. ‘Patience’ is a wonderfully thoughtful track, though still has a rock-out that comes in halfway and stays to the end. ‘Suspended’ follows a similar path. Single ‘Reflection’ also did the quieter start before bursting into life. ‘Spiritseeker’ feels like the lighter pop-punk of their debut album.

This is a fantastic album. Every track either rocks extremely hard or brings something interesting to the table. ‘Blood’ is sonically fascinating. It starts of almost Linkin Park or nu-metal before undergoing a series of transformations into a much more classical rock guitar solo towards the end.

Earthkeeper deserves to bring Pinkshift to a whole new audience and solidify them as what they are – one of the most exciting rock bands on the planet.