In the whirlwind of emotive, gritty post hardcore, there’s something disarmingly honest about Drug Church. Their latest release, PRUDE, is out today via Pure Noise Records, and it delivers with the kind of irreverence and heart that has come to define their sound. But don’t be fooled by the half-hour runtime—this isn’t a flash in the pan, nor is it just another post-hardcore record trying to carve out its space.
This is a band that’s always been tough to categorize. You won’t find them chasing some leftfield experimental high or bending under the weight of genre expectations. Instead, Drug Church finds its footing in the familiar, the everyday ugliness of life, and the absurdity that often comes with it.
Vocalist Patrick Kindlon doesn’t weave tales of grandeur or self-pity; he lays out the human condition with a mix of sardonic wit and stark emotion. PRUDE taps into that energy with its opening cut “Mad Care,” where a flicker of distant guitar strings transforms into a full-throttle, hardcore kick in the teeth. It’s the perfect bait and switch.
At its core, PRUDE captures the inherent contradictions of modern life—messy people navigating messy situations, all underscored by the chaos of blistering guitars and punchy rhythms. The band’s ability to juggle high-energy aggression with melodic hooks is on full display here. Tracks like “Hey Listen” exemplify that balance, tackling the harsh realities of throwaway lives with some of the sunniest guitar work Drug Church has ever penned.
Kindlon’s vocals, half-sung, half-spat, are packed with biting commentary. It’s raw, almost caustic, but threaded through with a vulnerability that sneaks up on you.
PRUDE doesn’t just rage for the sake of it. The frustrations Kindlon vents—about community, individualism, or misguided moral superiority—are all too familiar, particularly in songs like “Chow” and “The Bitters,” where the lyrical narrative takes aim at the hypocrisy and sanctimony that have crept into everyday discourse. Yet, even as Kindlon picks at these societal scabs, there’s no sense of finality or judgment—just a deep dive into what makes people tick and fall apart.
“People seem to want you to die in your mistakes,” Kindlon admits, but there’s no satisfaction in that sentiment. For a band known for sharp commentary, PRUDE seems more interested in documenting life’s inevitable wreckage than passing judgment on it.
What makes this album resonate is its groundedness. It doesn’t aim for abstract concepts or distant metaphors; it roots itself in the raw truth of what it means to exist—often awkwardly, sometimes angrily, but always authentically. And that’s where Drug Church excels. The riffs hit hard, the hooks stick, and yet there’s a sense of levity that keeps it from sinking into self-seriousness. As Kindlon puts it, they’re just a band—doing what they love, telling stories that need to be told.
For anyone thinking PRUDE signals some softer turn or slow fade into obscurity—think again. There’s still plenty of edge here, and Drug Church continues to push forward without feeling the need to reinvent themselves. After all, the band is known for doing one thing incredibly well: being unapologetically themselves.
Upcoming Shows:
10/06 Birmingham, AL @ Furnace Fest
10/10 Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
10/11 Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory *
10/13 Las Vegas, NV @ Best Friends Forever Festival
10/15 Denver, CO @ Marquis *
10/16 Kansas City, MO @ recordBar *
10/17 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
10/19 Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick *
10/20 Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s *
10/22 Toronto, ON @ The Axis Club *
10/23 Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre *
10/24 Brooklyn, NY @ The Brooklyn Monarch *
10/25 Boston, MA @ Royale *
10/27 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
10/30 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage, *
10/31 Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall *
11/01 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *
11/02 Richmond, VA @ LTC Fest
11/03 Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall *
11/05 Asheville, NC @ Eulogy *
11/06 Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern *
11/07 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
11/08 Orlando, FL @ The Conduit *
11/09 Pensacola, FL @ Night Moves Festival
11/11 Houston, TX @ The Secret Group *
11/12 Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips *
11/13 Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
11/15 Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater *
11/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex *
* w/ support from Modern Color, Soul Blind, Pony
