Portland’s Kill Michael return with their self‑titled album, released July 11 on InDreams Records — a raw, unflinching statement that blends post‑hardcore intensity, neo‑grunge weight, and sludge‑soaked catharsis. Equal parts personal and political, the record is a gut‑level document of survival from a band unwilling to look away from the world’s harshest truths.

Formed in 2018, Kill Michael has earned a reputation for their emotionally charged live performances and boundary‑pushing sound. On Kill Michael, the current lineup — Zoe Tricoche (vocals/percussion), Myra Tibray (rhythm guitar), Lieyu Seith (lead guitar), Jarl Branum (bass), and Sam Spider (drums) — fully leans into their diverse influences, creating songs that are jagged yet deeply melodic, unpolished yet intentional. The album draws on shared experiences as queer, mixed‑BIPOC artists navigating trauma, identity, and resilience in today’s fractured climate.

Thematically, Kill Michael tackles everything from trans identity and queer dating to systemic violence and the psychic toll of witnessing global injustice. It is confrontational without being performative — a howl of rage that doubles as a hand extended toward community. Tracks like “Fault God” (accompanied by a visceral video) channel fury into cathartic release, while other cuts simmer in quiet grief before erupting into walls of distortion.

Sonically, the band blurs genre lines: post‑hardcore dynamics crash against sludge‑like heaviness, while flashes of grunge melody pierce through the chaos. The result is both cohesive and unpredictable, a record that thrives in contrasts — as delicate as it is crushing, as mournful as it is defiant.

With Kill Michael, the band plants their flag: punk can still be deeply personal, overtly political, and emotionally unguarded all at once. It’s an album built on solidarity and survival, begging listeners to feel every scar and every scream.