The tide has turned, and Drain are back!
Two years on from their ripping Living Proof — one of Revolver’s favorite hardcore records of 2023 — the Monster-energized NorCal outfit have revealed plans for the follow-up: …IS YOUR FRIEND. Better yet, they’ve done so with a life-affirmingly mosh-creeped album preview called “Nights Like These.”
The music video, which you can see up above, begins with the warning notice that no actors or stunt doubles were used during filming. From there, a concert-style performance vid finds Drain ripping into a gnarly, bounce-forward slice of California crossover, replete with bone-breaking riffs and Cody Chavez’ squeal-wild guitar style.
Vocalist Sammy Ciaramitaro rasps through positive-spirited lyrics about enjoying the hell out of hanging with his friends and family at a punk show, and savoring each and every moment (“When the music is over the memory remains”).
“Over the last decade of doing Drain, I’ve been able to see the world, meet incredible people, experience all sorts of incredible highs and even a couple of lows,” Ciaramitaro commented. “Most importantly, I got to do all of those things with my best friends.”
He continued: No matter how much we accomplish and how big we grow, we are still just a couple of friends who get to play music together, make memories all over the world, and we are so aware of how lucky we are to do it. That is what ‘Nights Like These’ is about.”
The video likewise smash-cuts to what it’d be like to see Drain rocking it hardcore well into the 2050s. No special effects were necessary, the band’s relatives — including Ciaramitaro’s 61-year-old father — went off hard for the occasion.
“The fact that we got to share this special night with the people who shaped us to be the men we are today means so much to all of us,” Ciaramitaro added.
As for the rest of Drain’s forthcoming …IS YOUR FRIEND, the album was recorded live in the studio with producer Jon Markson (The Story So Far, Drug Church, One Step Closer), with a press release noting it features “100% real-time drums, no metronome, no programmed bullshit.”
Drain’s third album is due out November 7th through Epitaph and is available for pre-order now on exclusive, limited-edition colored vinyl at Revolver’s shop. Check out the album and tracklisting below.
As previously reported, Drain will be out on tour this fall supporting Kublai Khan TX. The band also have a bunch of upcoming festival dates, and you can find all the date details beneath the album info.
…IS YOUR FRIEND tracklisting:
Stealing Happiness From Tomorrow
Living in a Memory
Scared of Everything and Nothing
Nothing but Love
Can’t Be Bothered
Loudest in the Room
Nights Like These
Who’s Having Fun?
Darkest Days
Until Next Time
Drain 2025 tour dates:
6/10 Amityville, NY – Amityville Music Hall
6/11 Syracuse, NY – The Song & Dance
6/13 Reading, PA – Reverb
6/14-15 Washington, DC – Warped Tour *
6/16 Richmond, VA – The Warehouse
6/17 Asheville, NC – Eulogy
6/19 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
7/18 Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration Fest *
7/26-27 Long Beach, CA – Warped Tour *
9/18 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life *
9/20 Worcester, MA – New England Metal & Hardcore Festival
9/23 Buffalo, NY – Buffalo RiverWorks ^
10/3-5 Princeton, AL – Furnace Fest *
10/12 Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory ^
10/14 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater ^
10/15 Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium ^
10/17 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre ^
10/21 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory ^
10/23 Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades ^
10/24 San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic ^
10/25 Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium ^
10/26 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium ^
11/15-16 Orlando, FL – Warped Tour *
* festival date
^ with Kublai Khan TX