Is it just us or is math rock absolutely tearing into 2026 with nonstop releases? After watching the genre churn and shift like an ocean, it seems like it’s found solid footing. In so many ways, projects and ideas that felt like experiments managed to carry into a second phase, and it feels like we’ve been witnessing something that just might resemble evolution.
Frankly, it’s amazing. Maybe we’re just getting older or better at practicing gratitude but now that we’ve been able to divy up singles from the dumps, we’re able to spend a little more time listening. We weren’t sure what kind of results the Singles Broken Up column leap would yield. It ended up giving us back some precious time to listen to records front to back, and damn if it hasn’t been deeply healing. Also, massive shout out to Haunt Luma aka At Home With Monsters for helping with those and a number of other things coming up.
For now, let’s try to get you some goodies on Bandcamp. Oh yeah – now is probably a good time to mention that soon we’ll be trying other platforms as well. We want to get better at moderating, integrating, etc. and that includes experiments of our own like Corus, Ampwall, Subvert, and a functional Discord to talk about it all. More on that soon, but for now let’s celebrate this nonstop stampede of math rock with highlights from DazGak!, Prune Deer, Tekflip, Precal Dropouts, Sorry Kini, and more!
DazGak! – Stimpy
From the second we heard “Soulker,” we knew this was a band to watch, and by watch we mean really, really keep your eye on because they could move in any direction at a thousand miles per hour. More than any cleverness or flashiness, DazGak! was a display of youthful power oft thought lost to time. Now that Stimpy is finally out, we almost miss looking forward to it, but we suppose it had to happen sometimes. Suffice it to say, we really hope this is just the beginning, because this debut hits with the force of a thousand triumphant skateboarding suns. – MW
Prune Deer – The Antler Woods
Hong Kong’s beloved math rockers are back with a gorgeous follow up to 2023’s The Parting, striking a balance between energetic, emotive math and cinematic post-rock. Some bands have a uniform approach when it comes to melody, but in The Antler Woods, everyone shines individually – every song sounds like a conversation, creating an instant demand for repeat listens. – MW
Periapt – The Throes of Moirai
The band’s sole single was well received, but anyone that liked “Clotho (Spinner)” is going to fall head over heels for what these two cooked up for the full EP. It’s heavy, texturally wild, and has a Mestis-like edge to it where everything feels progressive and math-y, but also exceedingly groovy and gutsy. – MW
Verse Metrics – Descent
Verse Metrics have set a pretty high bar for themselves with this debut, which clashes like fuzzed out post-rock streaks of lightning. Descent also plays a lot with math rock as kind of a backdrop that appears whenever the cinematic storm shrinks back, so whatever you’re into, you’re bound to be enthralled here.
Tano! – danses a la discordia
High octane spastic screamo from Spain that absolutely hits like a ray of lethal sunshine. It’s no frills, but effective in all the right places, really striking that balance between post-hardcore and melodic hardcore. – MW
Polykronos – III
The third Polykronos offering is a feast of smoking jams, and we kind of mean that literally. It feels like the kind of thing you’d play while chain-smoking in the rain and/or committing crime if that’s what you’re into. It’s gritty, but keeps you on your toes. – MW
Grumble – For Whenever We’re All Together
Grumble lets loose with a disarmingly classy cocktail of post-punk, math rock, and uncanny pop. Just when you think something’s going to taste sweet, the band knows how to throw in some sour and salt when you least expect it. – MW
Sorry Kini – Tiempo Muerto
Every once in a while we think back to Sorry Kini’s last record and how it knocked the wind out of us without warning. We’re excited to find that with Tiempo Muerto band is pulling that exact same trick, but tons of twists and turns we weren’t expecting. This time, they’re heavier and weirder, and they throw in a lot more playful textures, altogether signaling a strong and infectious sense of adventure. – MW
Österreich – 胎教
As upfront and accessible as this record is, it’s full of surprises when it comes to texture. Everything sounds great here, but those buzzsaw bass tones are heavenly, providing a perfectly grounding foil to the anthemic vocals. – MW
Aaron Myers-Brooks – Fictional Planetoids
Sometimes when we’re absolutely confounded by something and words fail us, discordant noodles such as this riddle our brain. Fictional Plenetoids isn’t all microtonal madness though – there’s heavy prog and twin guitar attacks that wouldn’t sound out of place in early 2000’s metalcore on tap throughout, but it’s always several degrees away from whatever you’d expect, so weirdos, freaks, and noise fans, get on this ASAP. – MW
Tekflip – Energetic
Despite their worlds of difference, it’s actually pretty often that we see DnB matched up with math rock on Bandcamp, not to mention when we search tags for noise, emo, and experimental. Tekflip, however, stands out from the crowd pretty easily thanks to unique ratios of surreal production and tense, bass-heavy compositions that feel comfortable in their own skin, genre be damned. – MW
Precal Dropouts – The Escapist
If you’re looking for something fresh, Precal Dropouts make melancholy math rock out of the Philippines and their debut EP has healthy amounts of shoegaze and post-punk influences too. The Escapist almost feels like a new take on what Foals was doing in their Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost era – it’s got a dance-y backbeat to it, but still rings emotion from every moment. – MW
MONCHMONCH – dos entulhos loucos cavam sol
Remember those absolute haunting and inescapably beautiful acoustic demos that Deftones released in the early 2000’s? This entire EP has those same qualities, mixed with a bit of Pinback. When every second of your new EP has the best qualities of a legendary band’s most under celebrated era, we’d say that makes it a must listen to anyone even remotely curious. – MW
Rosàna – Your Troubles
We’re almost mad that no one’s been putting this Cleveland band on blast. There’s very specific melodic sense on display here that takes from dark, discordant 90’s post-hardcore, but turns it into wistful, ocassiaonly even cheery modern math rock. – MW
casamatta – Momento
Without trying to oversell it too hard, this EP sounds like the perfect lovechild between Totorro and Delta Sleep. It’s got a classy strut, wears a big heart on its sleeve, and doesn’t let up for a second, even when it’s exploring softer dynamics with keys and acoustics. We’d wager that a few seconds into “Rampa,” you’ll have a new band on your watchlist. – MW
acróbata – tèlesma
It’s hard to overstate the sheer quality of this record – if you’re into post-hardcore and math rock, just stop reading and click play. You might detect familiar elements here and there, but only by way of mile markers and directions. tèlesma is worth every second of your time because it’s highly original, yet somehow also hits with the godlike power of bands like Zeta, Hail the Sun, Fall of Troy, or even Thursday. – MW
Sea Moss and Miscomings – Big Tube Scene
I’m not sure if there is a wider pattern converging from two samples, but this reminded me very early on of another Seattle area based band called Debt Rag; the common factor being a vaugely punk rooted yet style agnostic take on what might be called noise rock, but could just as easily be called premeditated cacophony in the shape of a rock band. Overall, this is an endlessly interesting listen. – HL
The Home Team – It Lives, It Changes
A lot can be said about The Home Team’s brilliant hot streak revitalizing a pop punk landscape that felt inflected toward classic rock equilibrium. The Seattle based band have been perfect practitioners of Raymond Leowy’s MAYA principle; spinning jams that feel like something adapted from the top 40 played by the likes of State Champs with occasional downtuning. In this case they seem to have done the inverse transform on their usual offerings by adapting them again to a largely top 40 listener base. It appears that they even have an extended video showcasing each of the new-old songs in the visually cheeky language they have used often to accompany the release. – HL