Matchbook Romance releases new single “Something Worse Than the Night” before…
Matchbook Romance has revealed plans to release a digital deluxe version of their iconic album VOICES, which will commemorate its 20th anniversary. The release is set for February 13 through Epitaph Records and will be titled VOICES | VISIONS. This updated edition of the album will feature two previously unreleased tracks that were recorded during the original sessions but remained unfinished for nearly two decades.
The band has introduced the first of these rediscovered songs, titled “Something Worse Than the Night,” which marks Matchbook Romance’s return to new music after a 20-year hiatus. The track showcases the band’s unique blend of post-hardcore intensity and melodic precision, a sound that solidified their place as pioneers of the emo and alternative rock movements in the mid-2000s.
Originally forming in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1997 and undergoing several name changes before settling on Matchbook Romance, the band gained recognition with the release of their West For Wishing EP in 2003 and their debut album Stories And Alibis later the same year. These early works established Matchbook Romance as a prominent figure in the post-hardcore and emo genres, known for their dynamic guitar work and emotional vocals.
Their second album, VOICES, released in 2006, marked a shift towards darker, more intricate musical territories for the band. The lead single, “Monsters,” received widespread acclaim through extensive radio play, MTV features, and placements in popular video games. The album itself was lauded for its technical complexity and the delicate balance between beauty and tension crafted by the band members.
Reflecting on this milestone anniversary, Matchbook Romance shared that they took the opportunity not only to revisit VOICES but also to complete the unfinished tracks from the initial recording sessions. Two songs were recorded during the Long View Farm sessions in the early 2000s but were never finalized until the band decided to complete them in 2025, working with producer John Goodmanson at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle.
With the release of “Something Worse Than the Night,” the band expressed gratitude to their dedicated fans for their support over the years. The upcoming VOICES | VISIONS reissue aims to provide a fresh perspective on an album that has been regarded as a pivotal moment in Matchbook Romance’s career. Following intermittent reunions and brief comebacks, the band seems poised to return with renewed creativity and a commitment to expanding on their original intensity.
As Matchbook Romance prepares for the release of VOICES | VISIONS on February 13 via Epitaph Records, fans can anticipate a renewed chapter in the band’s legacy that embraces both nostalgia and forward momentum.