Ithaca

Ithaca is a hardcore and metal band that forms in 2012 in the UK scene, playing an abrasive style that draws on math rock, Southern doom, melodic hardcore and the influence of bands such as early Poison the Well and Oathbreaker. The group is associated with chaotic hardcore, metalcore and progressive hardcore, and its sound combines heavy grooves, harsh guitar work, melodic breaks and quieter passages.

Style and development

The band begins as a response to what it sees as a lack of ambition in melodic hardcore, and its music mixes technical and emotional elements with a violent edge. Its songs often move between shrieking guitars, crushing rhythm sections and more reflective sections, with lyrics that focus on disappointment, displacement and the breakdown of personal relationships.

Releases

After a self-released EP called Narrow The Way in 2014, the band issues Trespassers, a four-track release that continues its intense and elaborate hardcore approach. Its debut album, The Language of Injury, appears in 2019 on Holy Roar Records, and The Fear Us follows in 2022. The band ends in 2025, with its final show taking place at Islington Academy in February of that year.

Line-up

The group includes Timothy Kirkpatrick, Matt Brink, Mickey Cuthbertson, Aaron Jordan and Alex Parkinson. It is also listed with Generic Productions.