Stick To Your Guns has long been a defining force in modern hardcore, melding raw aggression with messages of social justice and personal growth. Their eighth full-length album, Keep Planting Flowers, takes this legacy even further, presenting a searing and cathartic exploration of resilience, and solidifying the band’s position as one of the genre’s most impassioned voices.
Produced by Beau Burchell, known for his work with bands like Thrice, Keep Planting Flowers is both a sonic and emotional journey, dissecting life’s most difficult challenges through a lens of personal growth and introspection. From the opening track “We All Die Anyway”, the album sets its thematic tone. The sound of a shovel breaking ground serves as an auditory metaphor for the album’s exploration of life’s struggles—urging listeners to confront mortality, make peace with the inevitable, and find beauty in the messiness of existence. Jesse Barnett’s vocals cut through the music with visceral clarity, offering a voice of strength amidst adversity. His delivery is equal parts urgent and reflective, perfectly complementing the band’s tight, energetic instrumentation.
The album is rich with moments of reflection and emotional catharsis. “Severed Forever” is one such track, standing out not only for its powerful breakdowns but for the way it builds an intense atmosphere of existential questioning. The song wrestles with themes of time, loss, and spiritual awakening, combining a punk-infused pace with crushing guitar riffs to amplify its poignant lyrics. Barnett’s soaring vocals over the album’s hardest hitting moments make this track a real standout.
Another key track, “More Than A Witness”, delivers a similar intensity, both musically and lyrically. The song speaks to the importance of action, urging listeners to rise above passivity and to fight for change in the face of the challenges that life presents. It’s a classic example of Stick To Your Guns’ ability to balance intense, unrelenting heaviness with thought-provoking messages.
Throughout Keep Planting Flowers, the band weaves in moments of melodic depth, a hallmark of their sound. Tracks like “A World to Win” blend catchy, emotionally charged melodies with the raw energy of hardcore, crafting anthems of perseverance and resistance. These melodic elements not only make the songs more memorable, but they also underscore the album’s central message—finding purpose and hope even in the darkest of times.
At its core, Keep Planting Flowers is about resilience: the act of pushing forward despite the weight of the world. Whether it’s Barnett’s impassioned lyrics, the band’s tightly coordinated musicianship, or the powerful breakdowns that punctuate each track, the album conveys the importance of perseverance. The title itself—a metaphor for growth and renewal—serves as a reminder to continue planting seeds of positivity and strength, even when the world around us seems bleak.
In conclusion, Keep Planting Flowers is another triumph for Stick To Your Guns, showcasing their unwavering commitment to social justice, personal growth, and the pursuit of strength through struggle. With its impassioned vocals, heavy riffs, and insightful lyrics, the album proves that the band is still one of hardcore’s most vital forces. For fans of the genre, this is a must-listen—an album that demands action and reflection in equal measure.
While Keep Planting Flowers is a powerful exploration of resilience and personal growth, it also demonstrates the depth and emotional range that Stick To Your Guns has developed over the years. Tracks like “Permanent Dark” offer a somber counterpoint to the record’s broader message, diving into themes of fear, despair, and personal struggle. The haunting nature of this track offers a stark contrast to the album’s more empowering moments, illustrating the band’s ability to explore the full spectrum of human emotion while still staying true to their hardcore roots.
Yet even within these darker moments, Stick To Your Guns never strays far from their commitment to uplifting and empowering their community. The inclusion of guest appearances from hardcore icons like Scott Vogel of Terror on “Who Needs Who” and Connie Sgarbossa of SeeYouSpaceCowboy on “H84U” further enhances the album’s collective and unifying spirit. These collaborations not only emphasize the importance of community within the hardcore scene but also serve to elevate the album into a broader celebration of the genre’s ability to bring people together.
From start to finish, Keep Planting Flowers is a rich tapestry of sonic exploration, woven with thematic depth and emotional complexity. One of the album’s most striking features is the subtle inclusion of natural elements like rain, wind, and ocean sounds. These atmospheric touches are strategically placed throughout the record, reinforcing the central metaphor of nurturing beauty and meaning amidst life’s inevitable hardships. These elements offer brief moments of tranquility, providing a much-needed contrast to the album’s more aggressive, high-energy bursts like the ferocious “Spineless.” These fleeting respites act as reminders that growth, healing, and personal transformation require both action and reflection.
In today’s world, where division and despair often dominate the conversation, Keep Planting Flowers emerges as an album that is both a rallying cry and a balm for the weary. It captures the essence of personal struggle while never losing sight of the broader goal: collective healing and growth. The album’s sound is not only an expansion of Stick To Your Guns’ already dynamic approach to hardcore but also a statement of purpose. The band continues to establish themselves as cornerstones of modern hardcore, unafraid to tackle societal issues while offering a message of empowerment, compassion, and resilience.
With tracks that encourage both personal introspection and collective action, the record provides something for everyone—whether you’re navigating your own battles or fighting for a cause greater than yourself. Keep Planting Flowers is a powerful reminder that, even in the face of adversity, there is always potential for growth. The idea of planting something beautiful, even in the harshest of conditions, is a metaphor that resonates deeply, encouraging listeners to keep pushing forward and, in doing so, to create something meaningful in their lives and communities.
In a time when darkness can feel overwhelming, Stick To Your Guns have created an album that not only shines a light but urges listeners to embrace that light and find the courage to bloom anew. Keep Planting Flowers is more than just an album—it’s a call to action, a reflection of hope, and a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.