Down with Rent - Like a Pane of Breaking Glass

I am very fortunate to be a witness to a talented, diverse, and progressive local music scene, and I think it’s about time I used this platform, small though it may be, to shout out some of those local acts whose incredible live performances and immersive recordings are making this the best time and place for music. So, let’s kick things off with Like a Pane of Breaking Glass, the latest and greatest release by local Connecticut rippers Down with Rent.

Clocking in at barely eight minutes, Like a Pane of Breaking Glass delivers a mainline dose of vicious hardcore punk straight to the brain. Down with Rent takes the well-worn template of grinding guitars and slash beats and smashes it into something wholly unique and unrelenting—the song “Down with Rent” sounds like a race between the band members, the guitar gaining on the bass in the verse only to be overtaken by the drums in the chorus. “Sins and Needles” all but demands slam-dancing with its blistering guitar riffs, while the title track swings the spotlight onto the rhythm section, drums and bass crashing against each other in a tsunami of sound.

Like a Pane of Breaking Glass exhibits Down with Rent’s visceral tendencies towards fast tempos and loud screams, but the opening track “Anchors” delves even farther into that energy. Kicking off with a bombastic, overdriven bassline, the band quickly falls into a pounding riff that sounds like Godzilla stomping through Tokyo. The primeval, desperate vocals bring a volatility to the atmosphere, punctuating the verse with a throaty scream of “Do you know how Atlas felt?” Down with Rent wields this trudging tempo for as long as they can bear, but as the song nears its end, they become fed up with it, cutting the time in half and careening towards a catastrophic end capped by the defiant statement: “You say that you hold up the world / But you’re just the anchor.”

Without a doubt, Like a Pane of Breaking Glass is a power-packed EP that exudes energy and fervor; my only complaint is simply that there’s not more of it. Down with Rent collects the rage of their generation and turns it outwards at the world, seeking to shake the planet itself from Atlas’ grasp. If you have the chance to catch one of their furious and feedback-laden live shows, do not miss out—just prepare to lose your voice as you shout along.

My top track: “Anchors”

You can find more from Down with Rent, including upcoming live shows and news, on Facebook. Then grab your own copy of Like a Pane of Breaking Glass at their Bandcamp page, out via Destroy All Music.