Courtesy Madyson Taylor
Audio By Carbonatix
Listen up, Eyes of Salt has something important to say, and the Denver hardcore group is shouting it loud and proud.
In teasing its upcoming album, Collapse Of The Infinite, the metallic five-piece dropped a double single on Friday, January 23, and the twofer of “Melt” and “No Greater Truth” is, unfortunately, painfully relevant right now.
“Melt,” an anti-ICE anthem the band first started working on a year ago, proved to be powerfully prescient after Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents on January 24.
“Of course, we didn’t know any of this was going to happen when we picked the theme of what’s going on in the world right now,” says guitarist David Westfall, adding the country’s current “culture of really intense violence and negativity” can’t be ignored, and Eyes of Salt isn’t going to show away from the ills of classism and capitalism.
“It’s something I’ve struggled with for a while,” he continues. “ … The rules that they’re beholden to to enact lethal force goes deeper than just what we see. … What are we even doing here? Attitude reflects leadership and it just bleeds into every aspect of our society. ICE is a true paramilitary force.”
At under two minutes, “Melt” may be a short burst of fury, but it speaks volumes. Eyes of Salt, like a lot of other local acts that echo similar sentiments, are actively calling out such horrors, including the recent ICE detainment of Summer of Peril bassist Marcos Flores.
“I feel proud of it, that we’re surrounded by so many like-minded people putting out a song that has so much relevance at the time. There’s a lot to say to that,” says bassist Jacob Mendez. “It’s a shame that we’re here in 2026 still dealing with this kind of bullshit. But I’m proud to stand with these guys and stand behind that message.”
“For me, I’m a little heartbroken that it’s as relevant as it is. I wish that it was not relevant at all. We wrote it over a year ago. This was going on, but it was nothing like the day after the song was released,” says drummer Christopher Fine. “I look forward to the point where it does become irrelevant, and this is a song of the past. But this is always going to be present. It’s always going to happen to varying degrees.”
Courtesy Ethan Cook
As the lyricist behind Eyes of Salt, vocalist Gary Cherny encapsulates the blue-collar American struggle. On “No Greater Truth,” he howls, “There’s no war but the class war, and there will always be more of us than them.”
“The relevancy of the album can’t be understated. I picked songs to write about just about a year ago, and we’re seeing how relevant they are now. These two songs are just a small bit of what I dive into with the rest of the album,” he says from his home in Atlanta.
“I really wanted to push the boundary and talk about things that current bands in hardcore don’t really talk a whole lot about, which is specifically class disparity, the effects of capitalism on the human spirit. That’s been a big one,” he continues.
Collapse Of The Infinite will be out sometime in the spring via LA label WAR Records, and we can confidently say it seriously fucking rips.
“Our message is first and foremost, but this is still an ass-beater, angry-as-fuck hardcore album,” Westfall says. “This record’s still for the moshers. We got the riffs, too, for sure. It is foot-on-the-gas from second one until the very end. We tried to make the music match how we felt.”
But before its unleashed, catch Eyes of Salt opening for Bane this weekend at the Gothic Theatre on Saturday, January 31. Rotting Out and Warmachine are also on the bill.
In keeping its teeth sharp since 2021, Eyes of Salt exemplifies what hardcore’s always been, and should still be, about.
“If you’re hardcore songs don’t have a message behind them, you’re just making really loud rock and roll, and we’re not a rock and roll band,” Westfall says. “Shit’s getting more serious now, and I think some wake-up calls are needed.”
Cherny agrees. “When we start losing the ethos of what hardcore is, it just ends up becoming pop. We don’t belong on that forefront,” he concludes. “We are the antithesis of pop. We belong on the forefront of sending a message, having hard conversations, personal accountability, education through songs, or at least, growth through songs.”
Eyes of Salt, with Bane, Rotting Out and Warmachine, 6 p.m. Saturday, January 31, Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway. Tickets are $35.
