Loma Prieta
Abrasive, emotionally raw screamo that balances chaotic powerviolence with haunting melodic clarity. Intense music for moments of total emotional release.
Abrasive, emotionally raw screamo that balances chaotic powerviolence with haunting melodic clarity. Intense music for moments of total emotional release.
Loma Prieta sounds like a structural collapse captured in high fidelity. It is a whirlwind of jagged guitar work, frantic drumming, and vocals that sound like they are tearing through the mix. While they are rooted in the Bay Area's storied hardcore history, their sound is far more expansive, often dipping into melodic post-rock textures before being obliterated by a wall of distortion.
What makes them distinctive is their mastery of tension. They don't just play fast and loud; they use silence and melody as weapons to make the eventual explosions feel earned and devastating. The guitar work often features high-pitched, ringing leads that feel like sirens over a thick, muddy rhythm section, creating a sense of constant, vibrating anxiety.
Start with the album I.V. for a definitive look at their most aggressive and polished songwriting. If you prefer something with more atmospheric breathing room and a slightly cleaner production edge, their 2023 release Glare offers a more mature but no less intense experience.
Loma Prieta (translates to "Dark Hill") is an American hardcore punk band that formed in 2005. The group is based in San Francisco, California and derived their name from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Most of the group's early material was released on their own record label named Discos Huelga. Loma Prieta has toured the US, Mexico, Canada, Europe and Japan. They share members with Punch. Their often dark and emotionally charged music blends a range of styles, most prominently screamo and powerviolence. In June 2011, Loma Prieta recorded music for their fourth studio album with Jack Shirley. Their signing to Deathwish Inc. was announced in October 2011, and released their fourth studio album, titled I.V., through their new label on January 17, 2012. The album received positive reviews from AbsolutePunk, Alternative Press, and Exclaim!. Two music videos, for the songs "Fly by Night" and "Trilogy 4 - Momentary", have been released to promote I.V. In support of I.V., Loma Prieta toured New Zealand and Australia in January 2012, the United States with Birds in Row in March 2012 and North America with Converge and Git Some in April 2012. The band recorded and released a split with Raein in 2013. On October 2, 2015, Loma Prieta released their fifth full-length studio album titled Self Portrait. The album was described as being a more "literal" and positive album lyrically as opposed to being more "opaque" and angry on previous albums, while sonically Loma Prieta incorporates more melody while retaining the same level of hardcore intensity. To promote the album, the band released a single for the album's opening track "Love" backed with and exclusive B-side titled "Trilogy 0 (Debris)". They also released a music video for "Love" in September 2015.
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