Album News
Contention Pays Tribute to ’90s Powerviolence on ‘Nuclear Summer’ EP
Two years after releasing their debut album, Contention comes back with a three track EP featuring a cover originally by The Swarm.
On August 21st at midnight, fans were surprised to see that Contention released new music for the first time since their debut album in 2024, titled Artillery From Heaven. It felt like out of nowhere, with DAZE Records posting a reveal of the album cover and title the day before with the caption “MIDNIGHT.”
As midnight came, Contention released their three-track EP titled Nuclear Summer. Defined as hardcore for the end times, from the apocalyptic straight edge metallic hardcore band. If the release wasn’t surprising enough, older fans of Canadian Hardcore were shocked to see the last track on the EP.
Track 3 is “X On Our Knees X / Upside Your Head.” A two-song cover combined into one, originally released by the Burlington Powerviolence band The Swarm, aka Knee Deep In The Dead, in 1999. Contention pays a perfect tribute to the ’90s straight-edge powerviolence band with a modern version of the track.
Contention can be seen on tour this fall, with a couple of shows in late September before hitting the road for the Pain of Truth tour for a run of shows all the way in November. Nuclear Summer is out on all streaming platforms, and tickets for all of their shows are on sale now; for fans of heavy music, this EP should be on your radar.
NUCLEAR SUMMER EP Tracklist:
1. SECOND SUN
2. BLANK STARE
3. X ON OUR KNEES X / UPSIDE YOUR HEAD (Originally by The Swarm AKA Knee Deep In The Dead)
Tour Dates:
9/25 Gainesville, FL @ The Ox
9/26 Daytona Beach, FL @ Nightshift Party Weekend @ Iron Horse Saloon
w/ Pain Of Truth, Madball, Rotting Out, xforever warx
Nov 12 – Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl
Nov 13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Hell
Nov 14 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
Nov 16 – Miami, FL @ Lincoln’s Beard
Contention ‘Nuclear Summer’ album artwork
Fuel: “I love this music. It deserves to continue existing in the world.”
Smash Mouth: “I want it to be exciting, regain that excitement and still have that Smash Mouth feel.”
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