D.C. Melodic Hardcore Five-piece Praise Return with "All In A Dream" from Upcoming Album All In A Dream (Revelation Records)
Beneath every blast of feral Hardcore is a sense of melody—not a three-part harmony or earworm hook, but the right mix of pace, phrasing, and a heap of intangible passion. Formed as a five-piece unit in the Greater D.C. area, Praise's mission statement has been to work within the box of traditional Hardcore while exploring the bounds of melody in every possible sense. This means more than splicing power-chords with catchy accents, but rather, mining the work of the masters inside and outside of the genre and immersing themselves in the roots of those who changed Hardcore's sound and boundaries; but it doesn't just stop there. Along with their love of the rich history of Washington, D.C. Hardcore Punk, Praise's sound darts and dashes through scenes, decades, and genres, united by the core tenets of a catchy song and the impulse to deliver a message.
From 80's Minneapolis Power Pop and Dag Nasty to The Cure & Leatherface, along with sprinkles and nods to traditional guitar-based Pop, the result is springy Hardcore that travels with urgency while exploring the themes of introspective struggle, imagining a better world outside of our own, and the evolution of grief throughout the years. Starting in 2010, Praise released a string of 12-inch and 7-inches bent on honing the golden ratio of angst and aria, but it wasn't until 2017, while recording "Return to Life" for AHC: America's Hardcore, Volume 4 with Brian McTernan (BE WELL, Battery) that they found a co-conspirator who could use the studio setting to add the depth of sound they strove for. Enter All In A Dream, the third LP from Praise and their debut release on Revelation Records. Recorded at Developing Nations in Baltimore, Maryland with producer and engineer Kevin Bernsten, All In A Dream finds Praise stretching their sound and craft throughout the album's nine tracks.
Additionally, McTernan acted as a second producer, focusing on song structure, vocal performances, and creative solutions that resolve ideas and turn a song into a journey. As the lead single and title track "All In A Dream," narrates, "there's no more black-and-white, this world is in full color," Praise's latest album is bursting with ideas and intentions, layered with a thoughtful brush dipped in past, present, and future. The tone is critical, hopeful, and solutions-based, focusing on realization as the beginning of an inner journey. Praise's current line-up consists of Andy Norton, Anthony Dye, Chris Bavaria, Daniel Fang, and Austin Stemper. Collectively, Praise's members have played with Champion, Nerve Endings, Peace, Protester, Mindset, NO-HEADS, Angel Du$t, Turnstile, Have Heart, and Free. "All In A Dream" is now available on streaming services, along with a vibrantly-colored music video directed by Robin Zeijlon. Praise's All In A dream is now available for pre-order and will see a 5/6 releas eon Revelation Records.