Turnstile: The Rock Band’s Haven of Freedom and Unity
The rock liberation army armed with dance, Turnstile, and other spectacles left an indelible mark on the history of Korean rock festivals. The scene was unlike anything witnessed before – spectators bouncing off each other a moment ago now leaping onto the stage in unison with the crowd’s chants. Fans, taking their places between being pushed and pulled, headbanged within the band’s boundaries, never disrupting their zone. The procession of joy continued unabated until the song’s end. Under the warning sign “Excessive rock play can harm those around you. Please be cautious,” two shadows rotated towels and leaped into the air. Though the packed crowd made a graceful exit for stage diving and crowd surfing difficult at times, eventually, everyone embraced each other, shouting, and safely enshrining the moment as a cherished memory.
On August 2, 2024, at the Incheon Pentafort Rock Festival in the expanse of Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, Turnstile took the stage as the headliner for day one. Fans fortunate enough to witness the band’s explosive growth in real-time were witness to Brandon Yates, Franz Lyons, Daniel Fang, Pat McCarthy, and Mack Mills of Turnstile – now dubbed the next global superstar band originating from Baltimore’s underground scene. Their fourth studio album, “NEVER ENOUGH,” stands as the pinnacle of the band’s career. Achievements like peaking at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, number 5 in Australia, number 7 in Germany, and number 11 in the UK, alongside critical acclaim and Grammy Award nominations, solidify their commercial success and musical accolades. Descriptions range from Metal Head’s praise of being the hardcore response to Nirvana’s “Nevermind” to Rolling Stone’s astonishment at attracting even non-hardcore music listeners to pay attention to the band.
Turnstile, originating from the hardcore scene in Baltimore from 2010, immediately garnered followers by blending the aggressiveness of 1980s New York hardcore with the groove of 1990s alternative rock. Signing with Roadrunner Records and releasing “Time & Space,” their second album, marked a turning point as they experimented with funky rhythms, psychedelic, and avant-garde elements to break traditional hardcore boundaries. Their diversity shone in “GLOW ON,” fusing dream pop’s ethereal textures with soulful touches, earning unanimous critical praise and landing three Grammy Award nominations. Turnstile’s unprecedented success transformed them from hardcore scene stalwarts to icons of contemporary rock music.
Vocalist Brandon Yates elaborated on the band’s creative process in an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, emphasizing the organic accumulation of ideas over days, weeks, months, or even years. He placed importance on intuition and sensibility in the creative process, choosing to follow what feels right over rigid logic. This flexible approach allowed the band to explore sounds freely without being confined by genre conventions.
Rooted in hardcore, Turnstile finds Baltimore to be more than just a hometown; it embodies a rich cultural tapestry influenced by punk, especially hardcore, in cities like New York, Washington D.C., and Boston on the East Coast. This diversity, also reflected in the city’s population, consisting of over half African American residents, enriches Baltimore with various music genres such as R&B, hip-hop, soul, and electronic music. Lyons reminisced about attending rap and punk shows in the same bar in Baltimore, realizing there was no need to choose between the two music scenes. Embracing diversity and individuality, Turnstile’s music reflects their core belief in a place where people with open minds and a spirit of rebellion can coexist freely.
Yates, in an interview with The Guardian, articulated Turnstile’s inclusive musical ethos, stating that being a hardcore band was rooted in the belief that it was a space for people with open minds and those willing to challenge norms. This philosophy permeates Turnstile’s musical trajectory, characterized by relentless exploration and an acceptance of new sounds. Turnstile’s music, while retaining dynamic hardcore punk rock elements, is not the dark and violent clamor of an exclusive enclave but a liberating space where everyone can dance, collide, and enjoy themselves.
“NEVER ENOUGH” embodies Turnstile’s new era rock, aptly described as a “musical comic strip.” From the poignant start with ethereal synthesizers reminiscent of their previous work “UNDERWATER BOI” to the energetic anthem in the titular track “NEVER ENOUGH,” and the powerful hardcore riffs and explosive drumming in the standout single “DREAMING,” Turnstile showcases an array of musical styles. They invite a diverse audience with slowed-down jangle pop style interwoven with their characteristic dynamic energy in “I CARE” and conclude with the intense play followed by a mystical flute ending in “SUNSHOWER,” revealing a wide musical spectrum. Turnstile’s versatile approach to their music sets them apart, making them