Turnstile - Time and Space
Rating: 9/10
Rating: 9/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBMi-KYUl8c
Major labels can be either a blessing or a curse, especially for bands with origins in the hardcore scene. For some bands, a major label can give them the financial backing to be able to take their vision to that next level (e.g. for better or worse, Code Orange), or it can result in a lame attempt - usually due to the label’s influence - to produce a less-than-stellar record that tries to please both a mainstream audience while still trying to somewhat relate to older fans (No Warning on Suffer Survive). When Turnstile signed to Roadrunner Records in the Spring of 2016, a lot of fans (including myself) asked themselves which of the two categories the band would fall into: would they try and become more accessible than they had already been on 2015’s Nonstop Feeling, or would they use the backing of a heavy music giant like Roadrunner to push the boundaries of their sound? Time and Space fortunately adheres to the latter, and then some.
One thing I usually hear when I’m recommended new hardcore bands is that they sound like a certain band. This is especially true with a lot of the newer and bigger bands rising out of the underground and into a brighter spotlight right now: Knocked Loose sound like Disembodied; Axis sound like Deadguy; literally every band with panic chords is compared to Martyr AD, etc. This has never really been the case when I’ve heard people talking about Turnstile. Sure, there’s some comparisons to be drawn: lead vocalist Brendan Yates’ energetic yells resemble Zach de la Rocha, and the band carries a lot of that classic NYHC-inspired groove, but they certainly don’t sound like a 1:1 replica of any other band. This is especially true on Time and Space; the influences are noticeable, but they are never so pervasive that they take over the band’s identity, while helping the band produce a record that manages to be fresh without sounding derivative. “Real Thing,” “Generator,” and “High Pressure” all take the standard hardcore formula and add post-punk sensibilities, 90’s rock callbacks, and some unusual backing instrumentation (e.g. the piano in “High Pressure” and clapping hands in “Generator”) to mold a sound that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Most importantly, it’s fun. It is impossible to listen to this record and be in a bad mood, which is something that cannot be said for a lot of Turnstile’s contemporaries. This album is made to put a smile on your face and make you dance, be it the hardcore variety or otherwise.
The experimentation with different sounds doesn’t just end with the more standard hardcore tracks, either. From Tanikka Charraé’s R&B flavored vocals on “Bomb” to bassist Franz Lyons grabbing the mic on “Moon,” Turnstile show that they aren’t afraid to add influences that aren’t just the usual burst of metallic riffing showcased in a lot of the more popular hardcore coming out these days. Producer Diplo even has a credit on “Right to Be.” It’s all over the place without somehow sounding disjointed or unnatural, something that other bands could definitely take notes from as they attempt to push boundaries.
If you’re dissatisfied with the more serious, depressive direction that a lot of modern hardcore has taken in recent years, you owe it to yourself to give Time and Space a listen; even if you aren’t, in a genre currently rife with ultra-serious mosh bands, it’s easy to forget sometimes that the point of music is to escape from the seriousness of life and have fun every now and again. Turnstile are here to make sure you don’t.
- Cesar G.
One thing I usually hear when I’m recommended new hardcore bands is that they sound like a certain band. This is especially true with a lot of the newer and bigger bands rising out of the underground and into a brighter spotlight right now: Knocked Loose sound like Disembodied; Axis sound like Deadguy; literally every band with panic chords is compared to Martyr AD, etc. This has never really been the case when I’ve heard people talking about Turnstile. Sure, there’s some comparisons to be drawn: lead vocalist Brendan Yates’ energetic yells resemble Zach de la Rocha, and the band carries a lot of that classic NYHC-inspired groove, but they certainly don’t sound like a 1:1 replica of any other band. This is especially true on Time and Space; the influences are noticeable, but they are never so pervasive that they take over the band’s identity, while helping the band produce a record that manages to be fresh without sounding derivative. “Real Thing,” “Generator,” and “High Pressure” all take the standard hardcore formula and add post-punk sensibilities, 90’s rock callbacks, and some unusual backing instrumentation (e.g. the piano in “High Pressure” and clapping hands in “Generator”) to mold a sound that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Most importantly, it’s fun. It is impossible to listen to this record and be in a bad mood, which is something that cannot be said for a lot of Turnstile’s contemporaries. This album is made to put a smile on your face and make you dance, be it the hardcore variety or otherwise.
The experimentation with different sounds doesn’t just end with the more standard hardcore tracks, either. From Tanikka Charraé’s R&B flavored vocals on “Bomb” to bassist Franz Lyons grabbing the mic on “Moon,” Turnstile show that they aren’t afraid to add influences that aren’t just the usual burst of metallic riffing showcased in a lot of the more popular hardcore coming out these days. Producer Diplo even has a credit on “Right to Be.” It’s all over the place without somehow sounding disjointed or unnatural, something that other bands could definitely take notes from as they attempt to push boundaries.
If you’re dissatisfied with the more serious, depressive direction that a lot of modern hardcore has taken in recent years, you owe it to yourself to give Time and Space a listen; even if you aren’t, in a genre currently rife with ultra-serious mosh bands, it’s easy to forget sometimes that the point of music is to escape from the seriousness of life and have fun every now and again. Turnstile are here to make sure you don’t.
- Cesar G.
Archival details
- Original URL
- https://metallifestyle.weebly.com/metal-lifestyle/review-turnstile-time-space
- Recovery source
- live-weebly
- Recovery date
- 2026-07-22
- Stewardship polish
- 2026-07-22
- Preservation status
- restored
- Missing assets
- None recorded
Preserved by Bloodsoaked Media · The Archives