Access To The Lonely is the sophomore LP from Rid of Me, the heavy melodic noise punk outfit hailing from Philadelphia. Written on the heels of the band’s first LP Traveling and carefully crafted throughout 2021 and 2022, the album sees the band grow in every way possible. From the production, to the songwriting twist and turns, to maintaining the best of what makes them unique, the band has reached a heightened level of maturity. Access To The Lonely is like a prolonged sigh followed by a rushed scream after a weekend you’d rather forget.

Recorded at Gradwell House Studios with Matt Weber (Sweet Pill), mixed at Antisleep Audio by Scott Evans (Thrice, Kowloon Walled City, Yautja) and mastered at Chicago Mastering Services by Matt Barnhart (Metz, Pissed Jeans, Bob Mould), the 37-minute album sees significant sonic development beyond anything the band has done to date. The once-core trio (Itarya Rosenberg, Mike McGinnis & Mike Howard) added longtime friend, co-conspirator and fellow musician from previous bands, Jon DeHart on second guitar and his addition shines. This is a two-guitar album through and through. McGinnis and Dehart’s melodies dance around the steady buzz-saw bass, Howard’s drums switch between immovable calming repetition to rapid changes from dance beats to blast beats and back again.

The band’s previous foray into bludgeoning noise punk peaks with dynamic and moody post punk bummer valleys is pushed to a new limit on Access To The Lonely. All capped by Rosenberg’s brand of self-admonishing-yet-righteous personal storytelling that is frighteningly relatable to us all.

The band premiered the album’s title track, “Rid of Me,” and you can watch the official music video here.

“This song is about someone I love,” Rosenberg says. “Someone who was a very close friend and who I trusted implicitly. They lied to me. Broke my heart. I am still hurt.

“The lyrics and title ‘Rid of Me’ hold a special significance,” he adds. “I will forever miss them while simultaneously / I do not want to know them. So, I wrote this song.” 

Access To The Lonely is set to release Friday, November 3 on Knife Hits Records (vinyl / cass / CD / dig) with Deluxe Vinyl released on Den of Wax Records.

Vinyl is strictly limited to 500 copies. 100 Opaque Red (Knife Hits), 200 Black (Knife Hits), & 200 Green + Black on Red Splatter (Den of Wax)

Cassettes are strictly limited to 100 copies. 50 Metallic Silver on Red Tint & Red on Black (Knife Hits)

Pre-order via Bandcamp.

Shows:
AUG 19 – OSSINING, NY – DEN OF WAX’S FIRST FEST @ BETHANY ARTS COMMUNITY WITH MAN ON MAN, JOSE PRIETO OF MAKEWAR, AND MORE
DEC 9 – NYC – BRUTAL PANDA SHOWCASE @ ST VITUS WITH LOCAL H AND CHERUBS

Photo by Mark Diehl