Track listing: Endsong, Heywood Floyd, Flaxxon, Aloof, La Dolly Vita (Cresyl Mx), Tyrannique, Somelin, Remainder
The Accelerationists is the latest release by Baltimore-based Underlined Passages. Getting right to it, the record opens with the blistering "Endsong." The brilliance of the opening riff is that the intertwined 7/4 and 8/4 time signatures catch you offguard and kick things into high gear from the get-go. Guitarist/Vocalist/Keyboardist Michael Nestor shows off a knack for melody and intensity, building a mini-choir of backing vocal tracks. Drummer Roger Stewart lets loose with a string of wailing fills in the song's final moments. And bassist Joseph Marcus grooves with what I hear as some Geddy/Pinnick influence.
As the record progresses, the songs weave their way through moments of Foo-like passion and King's X-esque chord progressions and overall stellar musicianship. I wouldn't want to follow them on a line-up at the local rock bar. There's a very apparent higher standard to what Underlined Passages is going to crank out compared the typical band playing on a random night out.
Set for release on October 17, 2025, The Accelerationists was recorded at Baltimore's Magpie Cage Recording Studio, Baltimore, MD, by J. Robbins. Mixing and mastering by Frank Marchand at Waterford Digital in Pasadena, MD. Alan Douches mastered the album at West West Side Music on.
There are some poppier aspects to the album. "Tyrannique" reminds me of some moments across Kings of Leon's discography. And "Remainder" serves up a slow, plaintive, gorgeous closer--something akin to a ballad, where a venue's lighting engineer drops the brightness in the room and features the slow-moving blue beams to set the appropriate mood.
Underlined Passages have put together a collection of songs that possess a broad appeal: Alt, Indie, more straight-ahead Prog. The Accelerationists has a little bit of all of this compacted into the sub-30-minute running time.
Check out the band, follow their social and streaming platforms, and look for The Accelerationists to drop on October 17. Visit underlineslove.com for all the links and show dates--they'll be supporting the record at performances from Maryland up through Jersey and Pennsylvania throughout the rest of 2025.