Philadelphia post-hardcore supergroup Bitter Branches have announced their second album, Let’s Give the Land Back to the Animals, due out Friday, March 6 via Equal Vision Records. Produced by J. Robbins, the record follows the band’s 2022 debut Your Neighbors Are Failures and pushes their sound into darker, heavier, and more reflective territory.
Bitter Branches bring together members of Deadguy, Lifetime, Paint It Black, Kiss It Goodbye, and more, forming a lineup rooted deep in hardcore history. The band features vocalist Tim Singer, drummer Jeff Tirabassi, guitarists Matt Ryan and Kevin Sommerville, and bassist and vocalist Dan Yemin. On this new album, they lean into tension, restraint, and groove rather than speed or excess.
Two tracks from the album are available now: “Cave Dwellers” and “Basic Karate.” Both songs show the band tightening their focus, using sharp riffs, uneven rhythms, and space to build pressure. The songs feel controlled but volatile, with a sense of unease that runs throughout the record.
Let’s Give the Land Back to the Animals opens with the uneasy pulse of “Rat Poison” and closes with the dragging weight of “Here Comes the Chisel.” Across the album, Bitter Branches draw from early hardcore and noise-driven rock, blending blunt force with dissonant textures. The songs avoid flashy techniques, instead relying on repetition, tone, and pacing to hit hard.
Lyrically, the album reflects frustration with the state of the world, touching on themes of power, collapse, and personal responsibility. Singer’s vocals carry anger and doubt in equal measure, while the music gives those feelings room to breathe. Having both Singer and Yemin on vocals adds contrast, keeping the album from feeling one-note or familiar.
Working with J. Robbins helped the band sharpen their ideas without smoothing them out. The production keeps everything direct and physical, letting rough edges stay intact. The band also allowed the songs time to develop, avoiding the rush of writing around touring schedules. Some tracks changed shape completely over months of revision, resulting in heavier and more deliberate final versions.
Let’s Give the Land Back to the Animals is aggressive without being chaotic and thoughtful without losing bite. It captures a band using experience to refine, not soften, their sound—turning tension and anger into something focused and lasting.
Check out the video for “Cave Dwellers”:
Bitter Branches online:
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