Pressure the Hinges

Pressure the Hinges is Haste the Day's first album with their new lead singer, Stephen Keech. Up until 2005, the much beloved Jimmy Ryan fronted the band. Haste the Day chose this album title to tell their audience that they will never give up despite the struggles of having to replace Ryan. According to drummer Devin Chaulk, no matter who writes the songs or music for the band, the lead singer is the one who the fans are drawn to, so being able to push on as a band with a new lead singer to embrace was difficult.

Haste the Day reflects on this in the album's heavy metal title track with random melodic vocals, with lyrics like, "The clock weighs on the countertop, everything is sinking through the floor, you hold the door and I'll pressure the hinges...I swear we won't make it obvious when we turn around again." The song talks about the pressures of putting out likable music but vowing to appear unshaken and coming back tenfold.

In "Stitches," the band opens the track with a softer sound while using the heavy metal vocals as background. Keech sings, "Five words, is it really that hard to say? I'm worth more than this...Rip the seams then I'll show you how the strings become stitches in your mouth," meaning having the self confidence to be outspoken or figuratively sewing your mouth together and bleeding.

Pressure the Hinges is a strong album as the band finds a masterful balance between blaring heavy metal and having melody that fans can catch onto. If you like bands like Underoath and Atreyu, Haste the Day will not disappoint.