Buffalo’s own SPACED are blasting through boundaries once again — and this time, they’ve gone galactic. Their new EP No Escape, out now via Pure Noise Records, is a five-track explosion of hardcore energy, trippy textures, and righteous fury that proves why they’re one of the most exciting names to come out of the scene in years. And to top it off, they’ve dropped a killer new video for “How Did It Come To This?” that perfectly captures their blend of chaos and catharsis.
SPACED have always called their sound “far-out hardcore,” and honestly, that description couldn’t fit better. One minute you’re getting your head caved in by stomping riffs and basslines that could level a venue, and the next you’re floating through cosmic guitar effects that sound like they’ve been beamed in from another planet. It’s a style that shouldn’t work on paper — but somehow it does, and it’s what sets SPACED apart from the endless wave of copy-paste hardcore bands.
Lexi Reyngoudt’s lyrics on No Escape hit like a punch to the gut. Written during a time when the world feels increasingly claustrophobic, she channels that suffocating tension into something powerful and unifying. “We grind and work while the world feels like a daunting thundercloud over our heads,” she explains — and you can feel that pressure building in every verse. But there’s also hope buried in the noise. Hardcore has always been about community, and SPACED know it. That connection, that shared anger and release, is what makes No Escape such an essential listen.
Produced by Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Terror, Age of Apocalypse), the EP captures the band at their sharpest and most experimental. Opener “No Escape” sets the tone immediately — heavy, relentless, and just a little weird. “Cause and Effect” and “How Did It Come To This?” blend groove-laden breakdowns with spacey guitar layers that somehow make you want to headbang and stargaze. The closing duo of “Pressure” and “Dog Bite” bring everything full circle with riffs that feel like they’re clawing through the cosmos.
For a band that only formed in 2021, SPACED have already racked up an impressive list of achievements. After dropping their mini-album This Is All We Ever Get on Revelation Records, landing on the Pure Noise roster felt like destiny. And they’re not taking any of it for granted. “It was a bucket list moment,” Reyngoudt says. “We could’ve quit right there and I’d have been happy.” But luckily, they didn’t — because No Escape is proof that they’re only just getting started.
SPACED’s ethos has always been about positivity through aggression. Sure, they’re pissed off, but there’s purpose in the rage — a message of empowerment wrapped up in fuzzed-out chaos. “Hardcore is as political as it gets right now,” Reyngoudt says. “Even though shit is hard, we need community to help us. And the hardcore community will do that.”
No Escape is more than just another heavy release — it’s a call to arms, a cathartic scream, and a reminder that hardcore isn’t just about being tough. It’s about belonging, defiance, and finding meaning in the madness. Whether you’re in the pit or watching from the edge, SPACED are making it very clear: there’s no escaping their orbit now.
