Having seen Latch and Vicegrip together at numerous shows over the past year, I was pretty excited when I first heard they were teaming up for a split EP.
Every time I’ve seen both bands play live has been an unbelievable experience, especially considering nearly all of them have been benefit shows — a testament to their desire to build a better community.
When you boil it down, though, both Latch and Vicegrip bring the heat when it comes to pointed and bitter Boston Hardcore that condemns American society and the people behind its oppression.
As they unleash tirades against the lie of the American Dream and Trump supporters respectively, the music attacks from both angles: Vicegrip hammering their message home with stylish breakdowns, metallic riffage, and crust punk fury, while Latch blast their tried-and-true hardcore punk as loudly as possible into your ruptured eardrums.
Jumping into the EP, we start with Vicegrip’s “Intro,” a stomping instrumental that lets the dancers claim all their glory. Even though this is only their second outing as a band, they bring a refreshing new polish to their sound thanks to the production work from Latch guitarist Kaden. The track begins with building guitar wails from Mikey and Joey before Sean hits the drums at machine-gun speed and kicks off the intro mosh. Heavy metallic riffs continue before a tasteful two-step section kicks in, a reminder that Vicegrip loves keeping listeners on their toes while chaos erupts on the dance floor.
“Buried With You” follows seamlessly with a hefty wail from vocalist Brendan kicking off the insanity. The speedy opening briefly pauses before taking a sharp left turn into a drum-and-bass-driven mosh pattern for a few seconds before the guitars crash back in and the chorus is thrown at us: “I had dreams, they’re dead and buried with you. Enemy, pariah finds a way through!” Brendan’s lyrics, though not directly stated, reflect the death of the American Dream and the feeling many people have of being completely lost at sea. What are we even living this life for if there are no better days ahead?
Vicegrip’s final track on the EP is “Time Trial,” a song that has been part of their live set since the band started last year and has finally been properly recorded. It’s a slower track, but still as heavy as the weight of sin on our souls thanks to the thick metal-influenced riffs from Mike and Joey, along with Joey’s high-and-low death metal-style vocal tradeoffs with Brendan during the midsection. These additions show that Vicegrip are willing to pull from whatever extreme form of music makes the songs hit harder. It also owes something to Mike’s previous history in local death metal favorites Eyes Pressed In. Every member gets a chance to bring their own diverse musical background into Vicegrip’s fury.
With the assistance of Kaden on the boards, Vicegrip’s sound has been beefed up significantly from last year’s already impressive Drawn and Quartered demo. The guitars have more bite, Max’s bass fills out Sean’s pounding rhythms, and Brendan’s vocals sound even more fiery than before. It feels like Vicegrip reintroducing themselves and giving listeners even more reason to lose their minds at future shows.
After three killer tracks from Vicegrip, Latch step in to remind us why they are one of the best bands at taking the horrid reality we live through every day and making us even angrier about it. They’re here to stir the pot and kick down doors with Travis’ direct annihilation of the current government and those who bow to it on the ripping, groove-laden “Coup D’état.”
Some of Travis’ most biting critiques appear here, undoubtedly influenced by the recent war with Iran. His lyrics and delivery sound like he has a Trump supporter strapped to a chair while screaming: “Invade foreign soil to strip the land of oil. Is this what you voted for? Filling body bags under a fascist flag just for a few dollars more.”
With 2025’s Shock and Awe EP, Latch shifted their focus toward political commentary, and with time things have only grown exponentially worse in America. The inspiration is sitting directly in front of them. Most bands would eventually lose their edge or run out of things to say, but Latch absolutely haven’t. This single track carries every bit of venom that Shock and Awe unleashed across four songs.
The closing track takes a far more personal and bitter direction for Latch: a farewell to a relationship gone sour. Sparing no hard feelings, Travis pours himself into the lyrics as he dissects the emotional wreckage left behind. Sure, breakup songs always hit hard at the right moment, but here we see just how ugly things can become and the toll it takes on someone. Travis’ harsh vocals, near-breathless verses, and cruel metaphors only intensify the damage. There is clearly no love lost here as he closes both the song and the EP with: “I won’t be the one to wish you well. Fuck you, I’ll see you in hell!”
With the EP wrapping up in under 10 minutes, listeners get a brief but satisfying glimpse into what two of Boston hardcore’s finest currently have to offer. Vicegrip continue pushing their sound further, delivering a fresh and massive take on Boston hardcore through metallic riffs, crust punk speed, and analytical lyrics.
Meanwhile, Latch prove just how solid their identity has become after the last three years. They’ve smoothed out some rough edges without sacrificing any of the anger or attitude that makes them work in the first place. And, of course, the volume remains permanently buried beyond the red line. If you’re looking for a snapshot of what Boston Hardcore currently has going for it, this split EP is an excellent place to start.
This summer, Vicegrip will head out on tour with Neighborhood Shit in early July, tackling the Midwest and returning to the East Coast over 11 days. It will mark their first time playing cities like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Before that, they’ll also appear at Risk’s record release show in Lowell alongside Recollection and Never Back Down, as well as Wisdom In Chains’ Boston stop with Fool’s Game, Back of tha Neck, Negative Force, and Bad Move. Latch are currently putting together more events for the summer, so keep an eye on their socials for updates.
The Vicegrip/Latch split EP is currently streaming everywhere, so run it up for the sake of real-deal Boston Hardcore. Keep up with both bands online and catch them live as soon as possible.
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Vicegrip on social media: Instagram
Latch on social media: Instagram
