Boundaries

Boundaries know exactly what they want to do, how they want to sound, and where they want to go. Disregarding trends, fads, and whatever the flavor-of-the-month may be, the band hyper-focus on a full-scale sensory onslaught of their own design. They stretch their sound almost to a breaking point, reining in fits of polyrhythmic bloodletting with a respite of powerful and poignant melodies.

For as extreme as the sonic dynamics are, it’s the extremity of the group’s intent that makes their signature style dangerous and utterly alive.

A clear sense of purpose drives the Connecticut quintet—Matthew McDougal [vocals], Cory Emond [guitar], Tim Sullivan [drummer, vocals], Nathan Calcagno [bass, vocals], and Cody DelVecchio [guitar]—and defines their fourth full-length LP and Sumerian Records debut, Yearning: the unbeautiful after.

“With the record, we aimed to be uncompromising and really plant our flag,” Matthew states. “As more time passes, heavy music continues to lose its teeth. This genre is supposed to be threatening; it should have an edge and make you feel something. We tried to create an album with urgency. If we did anything correctly, it will speak for itself.”

“We did exactly what we wanted to do,” affirms Cory. “You could say we pushed everything in both directions, but we were simply being who we are as a band.”

From day one forward, the group have stuck to their guns. In fact, they’ve only grown more resolute over the course of Hartford County Misery [2017], Your Receding Warmth [2020], Burying Brightness [2022], and Death Is Little More [2024]. The latter incited the applause of KNOTFEST, MetalSucks, and New Noise Magazine who crowned it “their best yet and a clear front-runner for AOTY.” Additionally, Death Is Little More tallied tens of millions of streams fueled by “Easily Erased,” “Scars On A Soul,” and “Darkness Shared.” Emerging as a force of nature on the road, they’ve canvased North America with A Day To Remember, The Plot In You, and Dying Wish, in addition to packing headline shows. Signing to Sumerian Records, the band launched their next chapter. Given the positive response to Death Is Little More, they spent more time on the road between albums than ever. They also hit the studio with GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer Drew Fulk [Knocked Loose, Make Them Suffer] for the first time. Decamping to Los Angeles, they crafted Yearning: the unbeautiful after in the fall of 2025.

“We did our last three records with Randy LeBoeuf, and it was natural to the point of being a well-oiled machine,” Cory notes. “We had never met Drew before. We hadn’t gone through any growing pains with a producer in over six years. We wanted to see if we could mesh with him. It took a few weeks, but when he ‘got it’, we locked in and really understood each other. Throughout the process, Drew said, ‘I don’t know many bands who can go as heavy as you go and as soft as you go’. That dichotomy had appealed to him, because most bands pick a lane without venturing into both aspects.”

Boundaries kick down the door with the first single “Skies cast amber black.” Moving in lockstep, Matthew’s screams march forward in time with chugging detuned guitars and pummeling drums. A palm-muted riff, pick scrapes, jittery cymbals, and ominous squeals up the intensity. On the bridge, the frontman’s whispers explode into a final scream, “Skies cast amber black!”

“It’s a declaration of intent,” Matthew reveals. “It’s an angry song about how unimpressive much of the modern heavy music landscape is. It’s bizarre because the community is bigger than it’s ever been, and the bands and shows are bigger too. Since there’s so much excess, the scene doesn’t lend itself to putting a spotlight on smaller artists who are trying to do things you haven’t heard before. I had a lot of resentment around these feelings.”

On the other end of the spectrum, “Death will follow me” chases rapid-fire double bass and punchy riffing with a call-and-response between a guttural growl and hypnotic chorus, “I want to move on.”

“You’re holding up a magnifying glass to what people want, what they think they want, and why they want those things,” Matthew continues. “Life is linear. You don’t get to deviate or go backwards on your path. You end up where you do because you did what you did, said what you said, and felt how you felt.”

Then, there’s “Only endless.” An emotionally charged clean vocal slips into the undertow of a seasick distorted groove. A haunting hook reminds, “You can’t replace words left unsaid.”

“As the penultimate track, it has to say everything we need to say before the album wraps up,” Matthew notes. “Much of the record poses questions to listeners, probing if they identify with the sentiment of what’s been said and why they do or don’t. ‘Only endless’ doesn’t ask anything of the listener. It describes a feeling. You can take what you will from it.”

Continuing a tradition of collaborations, they tapped the talents of Landon Tewers of The Plot In You for “Crowned and crucified” and Make Them Suffer on “Torn wide open.” Reaching an apex moment, the album concludes on a crushing note during the title track. Matthew signals the sonic catharsis to come and asks one more question, “Is this all there is? Set me free from desires and longing.”

He elaborates, “The title, Yearning, is base level. What do you want from life, relationships, or whatever you spend time on? Time is the only resource with any real value; it’s the only thing you can’t get more of. You should deeply consider anything you choose to spend time on. The subtitle, the unbeautiful after, refers to the eventuality of what you’ve spent your time doing. The main questions are ‘What did you give yourself to? What is important to you? Where did it lead you?’ What’s important to me is music, expression, and creating, and all of that led me to the album.”

In the end, Boundaries stand alone with this body of work. “For us, music is about doing things in a way other people aren’t,” Matthew leaves off. “It’s how we reached this point. Yearning: the unbeautiful after is a reminder to follow your instincts. If you think something is worth doing, it is. Listen to yourself.”