A handful of years ago, the Wilkes-Barre outfit One Step Closer burst onto the scene with a blazing, earnest take on melodic hardcore that drew from older styles without ever masking what they were doing. They earned recognition as a Stereogum Band To Watch back in 2021, and then broadened their reach on a more expansive path with their 2024 sophomore album All You Embrace. After releasing a standalone single called “Jinx” last year, One Step Closer are poised to unveil a fresh full-length, titled Zero.
Zero was laid down with Jon Markson, the producer known for collaborations with Drug Church and Drain, a craftsman who can fuse hardcore crunch with hooks that bite. The group says the album’s direction came from delving into what they describe as “older brother music,” and a press release highlights a playful set of influences: “printing MapQuest directions to a VFW show, music-video blocks on Steven’s Untitled Rock Show, burned CDs with tracks ripped from MySpace, and leaping a fence to slip into Warped Tour in 2005.”
In conjunction with the album announcement, One Step Closer have released two new tracks, accompanied by a double video for each. “Blue Hour” begins in a measured, contemplative mood and gradually erupts into a highly satisfying, fiery finale. “Was It Ever Enough?” leans toward the punchy, stage-diving, emo that I associate with past tour mates Koyo and Anxious. Both songs hit hard, and the accompanying video—co-directed by the band and Derek Rathbun—is a standout: it follows a crew of skater kids aimlessly roaming, spraying the band’s stencil logo wherever they can, and gathering at an outdoor show where they light off fireworks during the climactic moments of “Blue Hour.”
Below, you’ll find that video, the two individual tracks, the Zero tracklist, and One Step Closer’s forthcoming tour dates.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Numb With Sleep”
02 “Until You Bloom”
03 “About A Boy”
04 “August”
05 “Blue Hour”
06 “Write My Wrongs”
07 “Drowning Skies”
08 “Was It Ever Enough?”
09 “A Fleeting Face”
11 “‘For Them'”
TOUR DATES:
10/30 – London, ON @ London Music Hall *
10/31 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS *
11/01 – Ottawa, ON @ History *
11/03 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
11/04 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre *
11/06 – Providence, RI @ The Strand *
11/07 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall *
11/09 – Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall *
11/10 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore *
11/11 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall *
11/13 – Miami, FL @ Miami Beach Bandshell *
11/14 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre ^
11/15 – Orlando, FL@ Vans Warped Tour *
11/17 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre *
11/19 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company *
11/20 – Nashville, TN @ The Truth *
12/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ For the Children Fest
12/19 – New York, NY @ Warsaw +
12/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts +
01/29 – Barcelona, Spain @ Can’t Keep Us Down Fest
* with Hot Mulligan, Riley!, & wakelee
^ with Pain of Truth, Madball, & Rotting Out
+ with Senses Fail
Zero is out 2/19 on Run For Cover. Pre-order it here.
