ZERO - the third album from One Step Closer - arrives this winter on Run For Cover Records, Recorded by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, The Story So Far) the album has all of the heart-on-sleeve lyricism and visceral energy of prior releases, but there’s a palpable sadness that sits at the heart of Zero. The magic of OSC is their ability to take those darker feelings and mold them into music that pulls you up off the ground, and the result is a record that’s bursting with life - but also has a somber appreciation for its preciousness.

“This may have been the hardest year for us, and that’s reflected in the songs” says vocalist Ryan Savitski. “There’s so much desperation on this record but I think people can relate to that.” Songs like lead single “Blue Hour” speaks to this desperation - it’s a somber track that eventually bursts into a ferocious climax like nothing the band has done before. Elsewhere songs like “Was It Ever Enough?” and “A Fleeting Face” are testaments to the continuing evolution of One Step Closer’s sound, teetering between punk sing-alongs and moody melancholic alt-rock with expert precision.

One Step Closer started a decade ago in Wilkes Barre, and their 2019 EP From Me To You quickly established them as a new voice in hardcore. Once they released their mighty, melancholic debut LP This Place You Know. OSC toured relentlessly and poured that experience into 2024’s All You Embrace, further broadening the scope of what the band was capable of. Their creative force expanded beyond the songs as well, continually pushing the envelope with unique merch items including skateboards, parkas, and even cereal boxes, crafting a world around the band where fun and sensitivity don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

It makes sense for a band whose name evokes an eternal, Sisyphean struggle to treat each record as a challenge to not only push themselves farther, always in search of more connection with anyone who will listen. On Zero, One Step Closer strives to challenge themselves and also push their listeners into new places. “Sometimes I listen to a song over and over again because it’s giving me chills or just making me feel a certain emotion. I want people to walk away from this record feeling that way about at least one song– if that happens, I’ll feel like we did something right.”