STONE Channel Post-Punk Anger Through Intense New Track ‘Waste’

STONE have been going from strength to strength recently, announcing a deal with Polydor Records and playing to an entranced crowd at Finsbury Park as they supported Sam Fender. 

Their sound has grown too, together with their confidence, and there is no better evidence of this maturity than their latest single, a short and powerful burst of punk energy titled ‘Waste’.

A defiant retort to a judgemental attitude all too common in society, the single is reminiscent of the likes of Strange Bones or Fontaines D.C. in its treatment of vocals, with a guitar sound echoing the glories of hardcore punk and a hint of Queens of the Stone Age to round it all out.

It is undoubtedly a challenging track, the opening lyrics snarling, “You probably hate me / But what can I say / I’m a hateable guy / Who loves to play the game”. The lyrics are almost a provocation immediately at the start of the song. The sound is equally confrontational and leans heavily into hardcore, opening with a screeching guitar and thundering with high-powered drums in the terminal section. Fin Power’s breathless, spat-out vocals stand out over the guitar noise, turning the whole track into a bold declaration of pride.

It is a much more rounded, but also more aggressive voice than STONE have had in the past, and a perfect fit for the abrasiveness of a track that presents itself as completely unapologetic. ‘Waste’ is a potential anthem for those who are told that they do not fit in society.

 

Chiara Strazzulla

@cstrazzull

Image: ‘Waste’ Original Single Cover