Although we still have a few more weeks of winter, Absolute Hero are turning up the heat with the release of the first single from their new, still unfinished EP, “Gone Bad.”

Death of Innocence is a marked shift in the sonic tone of the band, having cut their teeth in the pop-punk genre. It carries a darker, more ominous vibe than their previous efforts; showing that they are coming of age with a maturity that is aurally pleasing.

Sarah Nichole recording vocals at Capital House Records.

“The track we’re working on right now was originally supposed to be the first single,” said vocalist Sarah Nichole, “and Justin (Moegling) sent me this song that he wrote ten years ago in his old band. So, I listened to it… the lyrics were already written, and I was like ‘Holy shit!’ this should be our single. It sounded so awesome and was so powerful, I thought we could make it ours.

“I wrote it ten years ago,” said Moegling, “but the band that I was in didn’t like playing it that much. We just kind of re-envisioned it.”

Nichole added, “It’s definitely a good transition into our new sound.”

The first single proves that the band is not afraid of growing, while changing their sonic direction to reflect where they are in the here and now. It was recorded at Capital House Records with producer Nick Ingram (Hawthorne Heights, For Today).

“Everything’s a bit harder,” continued Moegling, “a bit darker, more angry and aggressive.”

Justin Moegling at Capital House Records.

Jumping right in, Nichole said, “This is a big ‘Fuck You’ EP. Sing For Sanity was more like on the inside. This is like letting it all out.”

The question needs to be asked, were they consciously attempting to forge ahead with a makeover in their sound?

“Part of the new direction in our sound was natural,” Moegling said, “and part of it was that we would write stuff that was maybe a bit too heavy and we would never use them.”

If Death of Innocence is any indication of what the remaining five tracks of “Gone Bad” will sound like, we should be in for a well-deserved treat from the band. The edginess, raw emotion and dark foreboding contained within the first single show that they are ready for the next step in their career.

“We were essentially writing pop punk songs and I couldn’t really ‘feel’ it,” said Nichole. “I wasn’t feeling the pop punk vibe. I was going through a point in my life where I was feeling more anger.”

That anger translates to one of the most powerful songs Absolute Hero has written. It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any song being played on radio today.

Could this be the song (and EP) that pushes the band forward, exposing them to a national audience? I, for one, would like to think that this in the cards for them.

Absolute Hero – Death of Innocence

All images courtesy of Absolute Hero