Album Review: Death of Youth – Nothing Is The Same Anymore (Various Labels)

London melodic hardcore/emo band Death of Youth are set to release their debut full-length album, ‘Nothing Is the Same Anymore’, on February 16th, 2026. It comes via Engineer Records (UK), Cat’s Claw Records (UK Cassette Only), Sell the Heart Records (US), Remorse Records (France), Dancing Rabbit Records (Germany), Vina Records (Italy), and Pasidaryk Pats Records (Lithuania). The record marks a defining moment for the band as it’s their first release as a full lineup.

I love to see growth, to see music expanding from a bedroom project to a fully-fledged band and get the attention of audiences and labels alike. Death of Youth, having been around in some form since 2020, have reached an important stage in its development and this debut album comes with a lot of expectation. Though, pressure is something Death of Youth confidently eats up, delivering a powerful attention grabber that sits, uncomfortably, within the alternative world of metal.

Let me elaborate though because the alternative genre is bit too vague, and Death of Youth deserve to be summed up in in more in-depth fashion.

Post-hardcore/melodic hardcore blending modern virility with old-school intensity (particularly from a vocal perspective) and adding in dashes of emo to give the whole thing the feel of being on the verge of tears. It’s a sharp, but fluid combination that allows Death of Youth to really explore a wide range of sounds with one important guarantee for the listener and that is the guarantee that you will feel something.

Showcasing genuine passion through compelling vocals and deep melodies, Desensitised is a strong start to the album. Death of Youth hitting us with wave after wave of potent emotion in melodic fashion. Before Rumination unleashes a more concentrated hardcore effort and Fix Your Heart or Die (RIP David Lynch) burns brightly with infectious and positive life. Serving as a strong reminder that hate is destructive. The first third of the album delivering some really notable efforts.

Yet, from beginning to end, it’s an album that delivers notable efforts and so much of that comes from how authentic Death of Youth sound. When the melodies are cutting right through to the soul and the vocals are roaring with such emotion on the likes of Bystander, there’s simply no ignoring them. A spectacular track. Whereas The Inverse of Patriotism is hyperactive, pit-inducing mayhem that showcases bundles of energy and excitability, and Invertebrate’s punky tone is very cool, especially as the track shifts in such an interesting way. Another fabulous example of how clever this record is.

In fact, it’s downright addictive right up to the end with the final trio of tracks. Performance Art, Castle Rock, and Nothing is the Same Anymore. A variety of tracks that deliver potency via compelling hardcore stylings that run headfirst into emo-esque melody. The result oozes emotion, but these are tracks that also have the capability to send you careening off into the nearest pit.

It’s an exceptionally listenable album that gets better and better, the more you hear it. Death of Youth have arrived and we should all be so very pleased.

Death of Youth – Nothing is the Same Anymore Track Listing:

1. Desensitised
2. Rumination
3. Fix Your Heart or Die
4. Bystander
5. The Inverse of Patriotism
6. Invertebrate
7. Performance Art
8. Castle Rock
9. Nothing Is The Same Anymore

Links

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