I have been waiting for this one. The Massachusetts-based band Restraining Order has already perfected a frantic, anthemic take on early-’80s hardcore. Their 2019 full-length debut This World Is Too Much is righteous and catchy and intense, and it’s got songs that can hang with the actual classics that clearly inspired the band. I’ve seen Restraining Order play a bunch of great shows since that LP came out, and I can tell you that those singalongs really, really hit. Now, Restraining Order have finally released a follow-up LP that might be even better.

Restraining Order have been working on their new LP Locked In Time off and on since This World Is Too Much came out. The new albums stays true to the straight-ahead, fists-up quality of the band’s past music, but they’ve slowed things down a bit, and they’ve adjusted their approach. I would’ve never expected Restraining Order to get experimental with it, and they don’t really do that. But songs like “Locked In Time” and “Painted World” mess around with acoustic guitars and richer textures, and those little touches make the record even more exciting.

For those among the Stereogum readership who don’t already spend their weekends dodging spinkicks in warehouses, I would say that Restraining Order are a great entry point for the present-day hardcore landscape. Their songs are relatively catchy and accessible, but they don’t skimp on intensity. We’ve already posted the early tracks “Fight Back” and “Misled,” and now I would heartily suggest that you spent 21 minutes with the full album below.

Locked In Time is out now on Triple B Records. I just wish Restraining Order had a different band name, since I don’t really want to walk around wearing a T-shirt that said “Restraining Order.”