Stick To Your Guns have long been torchbearers of hardcore’s potential to spark both introspection and collective action. Their eighth studio album, Keep Planting Flowers, arrives as a searing reminder of their ability to merge uncompromising heaviness with a heartfelt message. Produced by Beau Burchell, this record is a cathartic exploration of resilience, growth, and unflinching honesty, embodying the band’s ethos of facing adversity head-on while striving for self-betterment.
The album opens with “We All Die Anyway,” where a shovel breaking ground sets a symbolic tone for what’s to come: a relentless excavation of life’s challenges and triumphs. Jesse Barnett’s evocative vocals cut through driving riffs and a galloping tempo, urging listeners to embrace courage amidst inevitable mortality. It’s a powerful introduction to the album’s overarching theme: finding beauty and meaning in struggle.
Tracks like “Severed Forever” and “Invisible Rain” showcase Stick To Your Guns at their most intense. The former’s punk-inflected pace and crashing breakdowns, paired with Barnett’s soaring melodies, amplify the song’s existential questions about time, loss, and awakening. On the other hand, “Permanent Dark” offers a darker, moodier counterpoint, exploring a world overshadowed by fear and despair.
Guest appearances elevate Keep Planting Flowers into a communal celebration of hardcore. “Who Needs Who,” featuring Terror’s Scott Vogel, is a blistering minute-long burst of fury, with feedback-laden riffs underscoring a back-and-forth vocal assault that embodies the spirit of unity and defiance. Similarly, “H84U” benefits from the ferocity of Connie Sgarbossa of SeeYouSpaceCowboy, whose visceral contributions transform the track into one of the album’s standout moments.
The title track, “Keep Planting Flowers,” serves as the emotional core of the album. Equal parts uplifting and reflective, it weaves together intricate guitar work and anthemic choruses, urging perseverance and hope in the face of adversity. This sentiment carries through to the album’s closer, “Eats Me Up,” which ties the themes of resilience and personal accountability into a reflective finale.
Throughout the record, Stick To Your Guns’ sonic palette is enriched by subtle atmospheric details. The inclusion of natural elements—rain, wind, and ocean sounds—threads the tracks together, reinforcing the metaphor of growth amidst adversity. These touches provide moments of respite between the relentless energy of tracks like “Spineless” and “More Than A Witness.”
Keep Planting Flowers doesn’t just expand Stick To Your Guns’ sound; it solidifies their place as a cornerstone of modern hardcore. The album’s blend of unrelenting aggression and thoughtful introspection demonstrates a band still evolving nearly two decades into their career. With its deeply human message and undeniable energy, this record is both a rallying cry and a balm for the weary.
Stick To Your Guns have crafted an album as cathartic as it is inspiring. Whether you’re navigating personal battles or fighting for something bigger than yourself, Keep Planting Flowers is a reminder to stay the course—and maybe plant something beautiful along the way. 
Tracklist:
- We All Die Anyway
- Spineless
- Permanent Dark
- Invisible Rain
- Severed Forever
- More Than A Witness
- Keep Planting Flowers
- Eats Me Up
- Who Needs Who
- H84U
