Still Blue, Still True: Picket Line’s Fiery EP

It’s been about five months since Seattle’s hardcore heavy-hitters, Picket Line, dropped their punchy three-song EP, True Blue, and if you haven’t already been blasting it regularly, you’re overdue for an intervention.

Right from the opening stomp of the title track, it's clear these guys aren’t interested in subtlety. "True Blue" takes aim squarely at class traitors and phonies with lyrics sharper than the spikes on a studded jacket: "Anticipate your demise / I exist to despise you / Bury you alive (piss on your grave) / My hate runs true blue." It's aggressive, raw, and exactly the kind of soundtrack you need when your boss asks you to "just stay an extra hour"—again.

With their unapologetic nods to hardcore legends like GBH and Agnostic Front, Picket Line blend old-school fury with the fresh intensity shared by contemporary Northwest bands such as Dead Streets, Shame Banger, and Portland’s Hard Pill. This isn't by chance; Scot Michael (also of Shame Banger) engineered the record at Titan Recording, and his fingerprints are all over its bold, in-your-face sound. Guitars blaze, drums thunder like war cannons, and Ryan Gillespie’s vocals deliver every line with a gritty authenticity that’s impossible to ignore.

"New Reality" dives deeper, railing against socioeconomic inequities with lines like "Throw them scraps and leave them in the dark," tapping into frustrations that have only grown more relatable as 2025 chugs onward. Closing out the EP, "Straight to the Top" skewers manipulative leaders and hollow ambition, neatly packaged in the brutally poetic line: "Manifest, and manipulate / Lie, cheat, and steal to the top."

Five months out and these tracks haven’t aged a day. In fact, they're stoking a fire— a fire that's brighter, hotter, and perfect for days when the headlines make you want to throw bricks through windows. Picket Line’s True Blue EP remains an urgent call to arms, a fierce soundtrack for solidarity, and a sharp reminder that hardcore is always at its best when it's speaking truth to power.

You can catch Picket Line next June 14th, Saturday 7pm $10 All Ages

Everett, WA - The Bayside Cafe

W/Dead Streets

Picket Line

Masters of War

Dive back into the rage, friends, because it's just as necessary today as it was last December. Grab it here.