Harsh Reality by Stress Positions

Harsh Reality, as the name might suggest, is an unrelenting, thought-provoking, intense album from start to finish. Most of the songs were either finished or conceived of early in the pandemic: a time when everything was amplified, a constant reminder that "this is how things are." Subject matter varies from poverty and the firm grip capitalism has on our lives, to personal conflicts and police brutality, particularly in the band's home city of Chicago. Stress Positions intelligently uses the trappings of hardcore punk to address sexuality, finding freedom from religious oppression, guilt, and shame, and the resulting auditory assault is an apt reflection of the world around us. It feels as if you never get a chance to breathe, and when you do, it’s a brief, desperate gasp. Enjoy it while you can- It won’t last long.

Chicago Hardcore Punk
No sympathy for police