Quicksand

About

Few bands captured the raw tension of early 90s New York post hardcore quite like Quicksand. Formed in 1990 around frontman Walter Schreifels, the band drew comparisons to Fugazi and Helmet, and their debut EP on Revelation Records announced a sound that was heavier and more abrasive than what most alternative rock fans were used to. Their 1993 full length Slip led to relentless touring alongside Rage Against the Machine, Helmet, and Fugazi, and Manic Compression in 1995 cracked the Billboard 200 and earned them a spot on the inaugural Vans Warped Tour. Internal tension broke the band apart that same year, and a late 90s reunion also collapsed before a new album could be finished. Quicksand got back together in 2012 and have been surprisingly productive since. Interiors arrived in 2017, followed by Distant Populations in 2021, and the band even put out interview content diving into the making of that record, covering everything from production choices to the meaning behind the album title. Their influences, ranging from Fugazi to Public Enemy to My Bloody Valentine, still show in a sound that refuses to sit neatly in any one genre.