West Michigan’s Tunnel of Love have been busy since No Echo featured them last year. Their Quest for Destruction LP got a great response; they played shows with Thou and Cloud Rat, traveled to Gainesville for The Fest, and even managed the rare feat of playing Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Now the band, who call themselves “hardcore violence,” are back with Uneasy Bleeding, a new EP that goes even harder than their last. Guitarist Jeremy McClary’s bigger role in writing songs is a big reason for the change. “The last album was mostly written when I joined, so I was excited to get to new material and had 11 or 12 songs written within a month or so of joining,” McClary explains. “My background is definitely more death metal/grindcore, but I’ve been in the hardcore scene for most of my life.”
Vocalist Brett Dierolf—also of Snakeout—agrees that McClary’s influence is much stronger this time. Although McClary played on Quest for Destruction, most of those songs were already written before he joined. “Jeremy took over the majority of songwriting duties on the new EP. You can really hear his influence,” Dierolf says. “He’s a metalhead at heart and a legit riffmaster.”
McClary lists Anti-Cimex, Siege, and Mind Eraser as influences, along with newer bands like Sinister Feeling, Kidnapped, and World I Hate. The mission on Uneasy Bleeding was simple: “Harsher was the goal.”
Dierolf’s lyrics also carry the EP's brutal spirit. He says Tunnel of Love’s words reflect his own reactions to the world, with “Deny Entry” and “Prehistoric Outlook” as two clear examples.
“Lyrics in this band have always come from my personal reaction to the current state of the world,” Dierolf says. “It’s no secret that we’re living through some really tough times with the obvious rise in bigotry brought on by a capitalistic fever dream.”
As far as "Deny Entry," the second cut on the new EP. “It’s about fighting back and fighting dirty,” he says. “It’s about making an example out of those who try to oppress in order to keep future oppressors at bay.”
“Prehistoric Outlook” takes a more primal approach. Dierolf says the song came from the idea that not everything needs to be overanalyzed. “Some things can be figured out by tapping into your lizard brain,” he says. “For example: ‘Nazi bad. Punch Nazi.’ Ray Cappo was right. We should strive to have a ‘positive outlook on life.’ But sometimes you just need to be a caveman.”
Tunnel of Love recently toured the East Coast with Sunbloc, a self-described "hardcore adjacent" band from Albany, New York. “Sunbloc are the best, and their new EP Joyride is one of my faves this year,” says McClary. “It was also great getting to play some new spots and make some new friends. To me, that’s always been the point of hardcore, the connection and community behind it.”
Dierolf came away equally enthusiastic about Tunnel of Love's East Coast run. “Every venue we played was awesome. We felt at home everywhere we went,” the singer tells No Echo. “I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. My only regret is missing Harry Houdini’s grave before the cemetery closed. A true escape artist, even in death.”
Looking ahead, Tunnel of Love are planning another short tour this fall, probably focusing on the Midwest. They’re still deciding what to do with Uneasy Bleeding, since they first released the songs just for the Sunbloc shows and haven’t made plans for a physical release yet.
On top of that, they’re already coming up with new material. “Jeremy is a riff madman, so I am gonna do my best to come with equally quality riffage,” Silguero jokes. “I love jamming with these guys and would love to play to as many people as possible.”
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Uneasy Bleeding is available on streaming outlets.
Tunnel of Love on social media: Instagram
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