Post-hardcore supergroup Bitter Branches shared their new dual track EP, Along Came A Bastard, out via Equal Vision Records. Composed of Tim Singer (Deadguy, Kiss It Goodbye, No Escape), guitarists Matt Ryan (Calvary) and Kevin Sommerville (Lighten Up!), bassist Brian Kantorek (Go! For The Throat, The Curse) and drummer Jeff Tirabassi (Walleye), the band eschews genre expectations to give the listener something special – an exploration of the musical pedigree the groups legendary lineup has honed throughout years of touring and recording. On Along Came A Bastard, the band worked with producer Mike Bardzik (The Casualties, Kill Your Idols), with mixing by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios, and mastering done by Brad Boatright (From Ashes Rise).

The EP is a high octane mixture of post-hardcore and gritty alternative punk that propels forward at breakneck speeds with an emotive energy that rivals any summer blockbuster. Titular track “Along Came A Bastard” starts with a slow burning, serpentine riff and anguished vocal that crescendos and recedes throughout 3:40 of fury. “Fraudulent” hits with a more straightforward type of controlled chaos that carries the tune to an explosive ending that speaks to the groups expertise in crafting compelling (and catchy) hardcore.

On the theme behind the title track, the band stated:

“We need to flip the premise. Instead of talking about ‘bad apples’, we need to come at it from the angle of ‘we are only as good as our worst actors’. That’s the only path to change. If you join a shitty organization with shitty practices, you are now part of the problem no matter how nice of a guy you might be.”