Youth Avoiders Defiance LP
We are fucking blessed to get a new album from this top-tier French band in 2026 when we so badly need it. The band has carved a lane all its own on their prior records, and they have never been more comfortable in their own skin than on this album. One of my favorite things about the band has been their guitar sound; they refuse to lean on distortion to give their compositions weight, relying more on carefully putting together melodic hardcore tunes where urgency and release create all the heft you could possibly need. This record reminds me of the golden era of Deranged Records and sounds as if the WIPERS and STRIKE ANYWHERE had one weird-ass baby that FUCKED UP raised. This might be my favorite of their LPs and it sounds absolutely fucking essential in 2026.