"5 years behind" by thick

Coming of age in the New York City DIY scene, Brooklyn-based trio THICK (Nikki Sisit on guitar/vocals, Kate Black on bass/vocals, and Shari Page on drums/vocals) know a thing or two about making their voices heard. Stereogum said it best in an article last year, describing the group’s music as “an aggressive hug.” It’s hard to keep up with their shrieks and shredding, but a fun challenge to try. Reminiscent of bands like Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland, THICK turns the Riot Grrl style into an accessible outlet for Gen Z and beyond. Their debut LP 5 Years Behind, released March 6 via Epitaph Records, is the catalyst to do so. A little under half an hour long, the eleven track album is both tough and self love that you’ll be moshing to in no time.

If you think garage music is dead, play this record a couple of times to reacquaint yourself. 5 Years Behind is everything great about punk; short, sweet, and taking absolutely no shit. In an age where people are striking back more than succumbing, THICK provides the perfect anthems to fight the good fight to. The phone bits of obnoxious guys in “Mansplain” are overrun by breakneck riffs, while “Fake News” fires shots at ol’ Donald in the Oval Office. “Your Mom” has the fakeness of self-declared artists and punks ripped apart by an insane guitar solo. Don’t let all the auditory activism fool you, though. THICK believes it’s alright to wallow at times too; the verses on “Bumming Me Out” are all about accepting that, sometimes, things just really suck.

THICK may be set on smashing the social norm, but they’re also adamant about regaining control of ourselves as well. Title track “5 Years Behind,” a mesmerizing mixture of playground chants and staple punk screaming, speaks to “keep on pushin’,” no matter how hard it may be to do so. “Won’t Back Down,” its opening riffs akin to the 90’s Seattle scene, is an ode to overthinking. The band repeats a single mantra over crashing drums, their voices melting into one another with ease: “I won’t back down/I won’t be afraid/I will scream out loud.” We often lose track of that statement without meaning to. THICK aren’t ready to let you give up that easily. They’re rooting for you too.

5 Years Behind is more than a mere political statement; it’s a call to action to get rid of all the negative aspects of our lives that we can. THICK are solidified within their audiences as much as we are with them. They’re the voices we’ve been in such desperate need of; rock n’ roll messiahs to help guide us through the wasteland we’re in right now. At their core, these songs are about empowering yourself and those around you. Though layered amongst angst-fueled chanting and grueling guitar, the message rings clearer than anything.

Stream the album here.

Words by Carly.