Released in 2021 via Roadrunner Records, Turnstile’s Glow On is a vibrant, genre-blurring statement that redefines what modern hardcore can be. Building on the energy of their previous work, the album fuses punk aggression with pop sensibility, funk grooves, and dreamlike atmosphere, creating a sound that feels both explosive and uplifting.
The record opens with Mystery, immediately setting the tone with its anthemic chorus and driving rhythm, balancing raw urgency with melodic clarity. Throughout Glow On, tracks such as Blackout, Underwater Boi, and New Heart Design showcase Turnstile’s ability to merge heavy riffs and propulsive drumming with shimmering synths, layered harmonies, and introspective lyrics. The result is an album that channels hardcore’s kinetic energy into something expansive and emotionally resonant.
Instrumentation is sharp and dynamic. Guitars shift between thick, distorted riffs and airy, reverb-laden textures, while the rhythm section provides an irresistible groove that drives every track forward. Brendan Yates’ vocals carry a mix of intensity and vulnerability, his delivery equally suited to shouted refrains and melodic hooks. The band’s chemistry feels effortless, their interplay tight yet full of spontaneity.
Production, handled by Mike Elizondo, gives the album a wide, luminous sound that enhances its contrasts every breakdown hits hard, but so do the quieter, reflective moments. The inclusion of ambient interludes and synth-driven passages expands the album’s palette without diluting its punk core.
Glow On is an album about openness to emotion, to sound, to possibility. It embodies the freedom of a band unconcerned with boundaries, willing to explore joy, melancholy, and catharsis within the same breath.
Overall, Glow On stands as Turnstile’s most ambitious and cohesive work to date, a record that bridges underground intensity with universal appeal. It’s an exhilarating, life-affirming experience one that captures the spirit of hardcore while pushing it boldly into the future.
