Exploring "Wrong Side of Heaven" by End It: A Sonic Journey
Introduction to a New Era
"Wrong Side of Heaven" is not just a debut album; it’s a visceral experience that immerses listeners in a world where chaos meets conscience. Released on August 29, 2025, through Flatspot Records, this album marks a significant milestone for the Baltimore hardcore band End It. With members Akil Godsey (vocals), Chris Gonzalez (drums), Ray Lee (guitar), and Patrick Martin (bass), the band entered Salad Days Studio with renowned producer Brian McTernan, ready to transform a handful of demos into a powerful statement.
The Creative Process
The recording process was a dynamic two-month journey of real-time writing and recording. This collaborative effort birthed fifteen tracks that blend thrash, hardcore, and soul. The band’s mission was clear: to spread awareness about the changes affecting Americans while emphasizing personal growth and the ethics of hardcore music. The result is a debut that captures the raw energy of their previous EPs, distilled into a cohesive narrative of moral clarity and communal accountability.
Opening Salvo: "Wrong Side of Heaven"
The album kicks off with the title track, "Wrong Side of Heaven," which serves as a battle cry. The gang vocals resonate with ritualistic force, igniting the pit with an energy that is both infectious and intense. Gonzalez’s snare hits land like warning shots, while Lee’s guitar riff slices through the chaos, grounding the soundscape. Godsey’s charismatic yells elevate the track, setting the tone for what’s to come.
First Single: "Pale Horse"
Following the explosive opener, "Pale Horse" emerges as the first single, maintaining the album’s relentless momentum. The rapid-fire gallops and call-and-response gang vocals create a vortex of kinetic intensity. Godsey’s soulful delivery in the closing lines adds depth, hinting at the emotional weight behind the velocity.
Exploring Themes: "Life Sublime" and "Optical Delusions"
"Life Sublime" expands on the album’s ethos, merging old-school aggression with melodic gang shouts and incisive drum fills. Each instrument asserts its individuality while maintaining cohesion. In contrast, "Optical Delusions" sharpens into confrontation, featuring a blistering solo that cuts through jagged rhythms. Godsey’s incisive lyrics challenge listeners to confront toxic mindsets and superficiality.
“Image is your everything / Your mindset is toxic / I was searching for community / You’re only here for the optics.”
Vulnerability in "Could You Love Me?"
One of the standout moments on the album is the cover of Maximum Penalty’s "Could You Love Me?" This track carves out a vulnerable center, transforming the pit into a cathedral of fragility. Godsey’s soulful voice, accompanied by delicate counter-melodies, invites the crowd to sway in uneasy stillness, reminding everyone that survival requires openness as much as force.
Deepening the Narrative: "Exploiter (SYBAU)" and "Billion Dollar Question"
The surrounding tracks deepen the album’s narrative arc. "Exploiter (SYBAU)" alternates between upbeat hardcore and stripped-back interludes, allowing Godsey’s vocals to shine. Meanwhile, "Billion Dollar Question" juxtaposes jaunty groove riffs with crushing breakdowns, showcasing Godsey’s rap-inflected flow that cuts through with brutal clarity.
“I ain’t worried ’bout the war / Cause that’s a losing battle / The damage has been done / I’m bringing slaughter to the cattle.”
The Ethical Battleground: "Cloutbusting" and "Anti-Colonial"
Tracks like "Cloutbusting" and "Anti-Colonial" introduce groove-laden chugs and yelly-rap cadences, emphasizing that the pit is not merely a space for physical exertion but a battleground of ethics. Short bursts like "Hookworm" compress chaos into twenty uncompromising seconds, while "Empire’s Demise" closes the record with an apocalyptic scale, featuring chugging riffs and gang vocals that resonate with urgency.
Instrumental Mastery
The emotional force of "Wrong Side of Heaven" is driven by instrumental technique. Lee’s guitar work shifts seamlessly from downpicking to blazing solos, while Gonzalez’s drumming alternates between breakneck d-beats and syncopated fills. Martin’s bass underpins the entire structure, locking groove and velocity into a cohesive body. Breakdowns serve as ethical pauses, allowing moments of reflection amid the chaos.
Dualities and Community
At its core, "Wrong Side of Heaven" thrives on dualities: speed and space, fury and reflection, individual conscience and communal energy. The pit becomes an allegory, where each gang vocal and shouted lyric serves as both a declaration of endurance and an invitation to accountability. Godsey’s proclamations resonate as rallying cries, echoing long after the final note.
A Formidable Voice in Hardcore
End It has harnessed their debut full-length to craft a record that is both exacting and visceral. Following EPs that solidified their place in Baltimore hardcore, "Wrong Side of Heaven" positions the band as a formidable voice in modern hardcore. This album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a ritual of moral and musical rigor, destined to leave an indelible mark on both body and conscience.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Toilets Ov Hell
"Wrong Side of Heaven" is a testament to the power of hardcore music, a work that asserts itself as an album-of-the-year contender and a future classic in the genre’s canon.
