Soul Glo reemerges from years of singles and EPs to deliver Diaspora Problems, courtesy of Epitaph records. Epitaph has signed some artists that have left me scratching my head, but this union proves that Epitaph can still spot real, authentic punk rock. Since the tail end of 2014, Soul Glo has been powering this style of raw punk reminisce of the early days of hardcore but adds a deeper lyrical element fusing the contemporary issues within their communities and within American society as a whole. This new record just brings that hard work to light with crisp production, guest vocalists, and even more lyrical insight into where these guys are coming from.

Diaspora Problems is not for the faint of heart–it requires your full attention and it will wake you up. The heaviness and speeds of the riffs should be what draws any punk in, but this record is something that should sit you down and make you read. Somehow Soul Glo has created this sound of chaos while staying tight on timings and punching hard with different riffs. This record is ferocious, groovy, and it has a lot to say.

Thematically, Diaspora Problems is 12 flavors of rage…but it surely has some tracks that showcase different styles. To me what resonates the most is the opening line from this record…“can I live?” There are a few different ways to ask that question and I think Soul Glo touches on all of them throughout the course of the LP. As Americans, many of us ask this question whether we are looking over our finances, sitting in a hospital, watching the latest political debacle, or just trying to have a night out in peace.

Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future)) was the first single released before the record came out and this tune is just infectious without any conventional hook or chorus–which is a pattern for most of the tracks on this record. This tune was my original introduction to this record before it came out and though it’s the 5th track on the record, it can still serve that purpose to those that are new to this band.

This LP is a must-have for those of us flocking to this new era of hardcore and punk. The 2020s is showcasing how bands are bringing more and more ingenuity to aggression and not just trying to be another derivative of what already existed within the hardcore genre. After months of listening to Diaspora Problems, I am still processing the nuances and lyrics but really locked in with its attitude. If you are even remotely into hardcore and punk, you really should be listening to this record.