Magnitude - 'Of Days Renewed...' (Northern Scene Exclusive)

Coming back with their first new material in four years, North Carolina’s Magnitude are feeling a new energy, so it’s only fitting that Of Days Renewed… titles their sophomore album. Set for release through Triple B Records, the straight-edge band has crafted eight passionate hardcore songs aimed for the listener to immerse in the lyrical content as much as moving in the pit. Originally formed in 2017, the band emerged with their self-titled demo In April of that year, followed by the Era of Attrition EP in October. In May of 2019, Magnitude released their first album, To Whatever Fateful End, an instant attention grabber that led the band to tours and festival plays across North America, Europe, and Japan.

When approaching the writing process for Of Days Renewed…, the band knew they wanted to stick true to their roots while experimenting with heavier riffs. Composing the album was a collaborative effort, with the band self-producing and recording between studios and houses, and handing it over to John Howard at Warhouse Recordings in Gainesville, FL for mixing and mastering. The record has a ‘90s metallic feel to it while still packing a bounce. Crunchy, groove-driven riffs are met with vocals begging to be shouted along to. The words themselves address everything from confronting your fears to staying true to yourself, animal rights and environmentalism, and the mental toll of the Information Age. Expanding on the lyrics, vocalist Russell Bussey states:

“A very common theme on this record is the idea of facing the reality of something discouraging, saddening, or angering, and fighting to discover a thought process to motivate me to find something constructive or to find a way to keep myself moving forward. The goal is to achieve an authentic sense of inspiration or hope that’s not hollow or blissfully ignorant to the reality of the hardships that surround us within our existence in this complicated world.”

As the record concludes with the title track, it’s an anthemic outcry of dreaming for better days and committing to oneself. The entirety of the album stands with the band’s mission of channeling aggressive energy into positivity and one that expands from energy-packed live shows to everyday lives. With the release of Of Days Renewed… this fall, Magnitude stands as a band with purpose set for acceleration.