Restraining Order Unleash New Album “Locked In Time”

Locked In Time, the sophomore album from hardcore punk band Restraining Order, is now available via Triple B Records. From the opening notes of the record a familiar sound appears as Addicted To This Life, the closer from the band’s 2019 album, This World Is Too Much, plays in reverse in the aptly titled Addicted (Reprise), connecting the cinematic universe Restraining Order has built across both records. As Patrick Cozens shouts “They don’t know what this means, this life it chose me,” it sets the tone that this music isn’t a fad, these lyrics aren’t made up stories, these twelve songs are a documentation of the band members’ daily lives. 

“Going into this record I decided to take a more present-day approach. It felt like the last record let me get a lot of things off my mind. I feel the band itself has helped me move forward in life and gain confidence in who I am. A lot of the lyrics on this record revolve around what I’ve been thinking about currently in life. The feeling of moving on from the past and looking towards the future. The anxieties of day-to-day life. Realizing what I must do to make myself happy. I wanted to take on the hardships of present-day life but also celebrate it. A lot of things will bring you down in this world, but you can always create your own world and see things the way you want to see them.” (Patrick Cozens)

The writing and recording process for Locked In Time was expansive, beginning in fall 2019 and completed in late 2022. With drummer Will Hirst at the helm of recording and production, it allowed the band to focus on the nuances and build upon a diverse sonic palette. At the surface, Locked In Time is very much a hardcore record, but it also dabbles with garage, psychedelia and other classic rock influences. Melody and hooks lay alongside the speed and chaos. Ambitious song structures are highlighted by seamless transitions. It’s a record meant just as much to connect with as it is for dancing in the pit, which makes sense for a band on tour nearly nonstop.

Restraining Order will be appearing at the Sound And Fury Festival in Los Angeles on July 29th. The band also has six East Coast shows slated for August, a run supporting Fiddlehead in late September and the band have just announced a tour supporting Angel Du$t in late fall.