As January 2025 approaches, the hardcore scene braces for the arrival of Retribution’s debut full-length album, “Waiting on the World to Burn.” Signed to Transcendental Revolution, the Lexington-based record label owned by Jeremiah Duncan, Retribution has been a strong presence in the Midwest hardcore and punk landscape since their inception in 2019.
Retribution’s journey began in 2010 with the formation of Lost Boys by brothers Jon and Chris. Evolving through various incarnations, including Outcast.kyhc, the band settled into their current identity after significant lineup changes in 2021. This evolution marks a maturation in their sound and vision, culminating in an album that blends classic northeast hardcore influences with fresh, modern elements.
The album, available on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp in January, showcases Retribution’s intensity through ten tracks that tackle pressing social and political issues.
The title track, “Waiting on the World to Burn,” is already available and will join other streaming services by month’s end.
This album is a raw mix of rage against politics and the system, a tribute to the local hardcore scene, and a solid nod to old-school fun.
It hits hard with tracks calling out capitalism, systemic violence, and the lies of the “American Dream,” while still leaving space for pride in their roots and a playful energy that keeps the hardcore spirit alive.
Check out the full track-by-track commentary below for the real stories behind each song, and stay tuned for the full stream soon!
1. Going Back Home (intro)
We wanted something to show we are from Kentucky and proud of it. What better way to do that than to have a bluegrass song intro in the record. We asked our good buddy Zach Wiles to write this for us and he did not disappoint. Be sure to check out his bluegrass stuff as well as his hardcore band Pressure Point.
2. Degenerate Stomp
This song is all about being a little degenerate. It seems like hardcore is becoming too commercialized which brings in the wrong type of people. Hardcore is for anyone, but it’s not for everyone. This song lays out exactly how we feel about those people, and who we are in hardcore. It may seem cheesy, but it’s how this shit stays alive.
3. Your God
This song came about from the conflict with Israel and Palestine. It focuses on the fact that westernized christianity fully believes that what is happening to the Palestinian people is justified. It’s a blatant call out of the zionist government warping ancient text to fit their narrative. We know we can’t change what’s happening, but we can be aware and speak out against it.
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4. Chains (featuring Chris Alsip of Suffocate Faster, Suicide Pact, and Your Disease)
This song is all about being a working class citizen in America. With the state our country is in, we will have to work until the day we die to just barely get by. It’s a way for us to tell others that they are not alone in feeling the effects of capitalism. We are all enslaved by a system that makes the rich profit, and the poor obedient.
5. Flesh, Blood, and Bone
Immigration is always a hot and heated topic in America. The practices we’ve seen by our government to “keep the border safe” have been very cruel. Stripping children away from their parents, deporting families separately, starving and beating people simply trying to make a better life for their families is disgusting. At the end of the day, we are all humans. We all want to do everything we can to make life better and safer for ourselves and our families. The “American Dream” is a lie.
6. Waiting On The World To Burn (featuring Jeremy Damron of Volcano)
This is the title track to the album and possibly our favorite song off of it. We honestly weren’t trying to make a bunch of “socio political” songs, it just kind of happened. To recognize the bad in this world is something we should all do, but it seems like more and more the powers that be will stop at nothing to destroy it. At some point we have to step back and watch the fireworks go off as they continue to obliterate each other in the name of profit and power.
7. No Justice
This one is simple, we do not support or endorse the police state or the justice system in any way. It is corrupt and if you work within that system, you are a gear that allows that machine to keep running.
8. 859HCFU
The title says it all. 859 HARDCORE FUCK YOU!
9. Make Our Own Path (featuring 859 Hardcore)
This is a love song for our hardcore scene. We put on and rep our city and Kentucky Hardcore as a whole, and we always will. We wanted a song that showcased a lot of the amazing bands in our area. We got members of Age of Panic, Raptured, Eternal Wound, Buried Truth, and Headhunter to do guest vocals on this song. We have an amazing scene here in Kentucky with so many cities pumping out amazing bands. This is our way to show just that.
10. SLAM THIS!
We really miss when bands would put fun/goofy songs on their records. We decided to change that and that is how this song was born. Matt our drummer and Jon our singer swapped places on this one. It’s just a fun breakdown with cheesy lyrics to have fun.
