STREAM THE NEW HOT WATER MUSIC ALBUM RIGHT NOW!

Hot Water Music certainly aren’t metal and I don’t know very much about their history, but I do know this: if you came of age in the ’90s and listened to punk, they were a very important band to you. My experience with them has been limited — I saw them open for someone (can’t remember who) at NYC’s Wetlands in the late ’90s, and I’ve heard random tracks of theirs from time to time — but all of it has left a positive impact on me. And now I’m listening to their brand new “comeback” album Exister via Spin.com, their first release in eight years, and I’m understanding why people so love this band; they’re fucking great.

If you were ever into Bad Religion (which I certainly was), there’s no reason you won’t really like Hot Water Music too; both bands share a certain positive energy, musically speaking, in their composition, chord progressions and sonic makeup. I acknowledge this comparison doesn’t fully capture HWM and is ultimately lazy, but it’s the best I can do with my limited knowledge of punk. Chuck Ragan’s gravelly voice is captivating, perfect for the music and I absolutely love it. I’m not qualified to say how Exister measures up against Hot Water Music’s old material, but on its own it’s a helluva listen. Stream it here. I’m already on my second go-round of the whole album today. Exister comes out tomorrow, and can be ordered here (U.S.) and here (Europe).

-VN