Angel Du$t "Cold 2 The Touch" LP (Red & Black Vinyl)

There's no other band like Angel Du$t. In fact, the singular group is almost

Defined by how far they stand apart from the pack. So if saying Angel Du$t aren't like anyone else is a no-brainer, then what are they like? Are they cutting edge genre-destroyers or one of the last authentic guitar bands standing? Are they blunt force aggression incarnate or earnest experimen- talists? Are they the hardcore version of an indie band or is it the other way around? You might ask yourself these kinds of questions while taking in the totality of Angel Dust's decade-plus journey-but the band's new album, COLD 2 THE TOUCH, suggests that maybe it's not so complicated after all. Or as vocalist/mastermind Justice Tripp puts it: "Angel Du$t is rock & roll." COLD 2 THE TOUCH captures this simple fact better than ever before. The 26-minute blast of eclectic and hardhitting music makes it clear that Angel Du$t can't be contained within the confines of narrow subgenres, and that a term as elemental as rock & roll might actually fit like a glove.

This is the band's most overtly ferocious album in some time-a blender of hard riffs and big hooks that are matched by Tripp's open-hearted existen- tialism. A constellation of collaborators makes COLD 2 THE TOUCH a captivating listen that's constantly surprising the listener: guitarist Jim Caroll makes his presence especially felt on "Zero," a veritable Angel Du$t epic that clocks in at over three minutes of spiraling riffs and features vocals from Wes Eisold of American Nightmare and Cold Cave; "Downfall" has the growl of Restraining Order's Patrick Cozens; "Man On Fire" taps UK punk legend Frank Carter; and "The Beat" includes guttural guest vitriol from Taylor Young of Twitching Tongues, Deadbody, and more. The album's final one-two punch of "The Knife" and "The Beat" sum up exactly what makes Angel Du$t such a special band. This is a creative endeavor where heart-on-sleeve musings about the finite nature of life can coexist with the unbridled thrill of violence-enducing riffs, where real humanity can flourish and being true to yourself and your own spectrum of thoughts, interests, and feelings takes primacy above all else. "This is who I am," says Tripp. "and I speak for the band too: these are people who are always going to be playing aggressive rock & roll. It's happening whether you like it or not. I'm me, and if you get in my way I'm gonna crush you."

1 Pain Is a Must
2 Cold 2 the Touch
3 I'm the Outside
4 Jesus Head
5 Zero
6 Downfall
7 Du$T
8 Nothing I Can't Kill
9 Man on Fire
10 The Knife
11 The Beat