More about: Meetme@thealter

The words ‘Meet Me @ The Altar’ have been generating all kinds of buzz in the pop-punk revival of recent years. They might not have the celebrity status of some of the other players in the scene but make no mistake: they’re the real heroes of the guitar-based revolution.

Past // Present // Future is a thrilling debut that tells a story of a band transforming into their best selves. This debut does exactly what it promises: Meet Me @ The Altar honour the nostalgia of 00s pop punk, yes, but they also secure their place in today’s resurgence and pledge to take the scene to exciting new places in the future.

Each member of the trio – Edith Victoria, Téa Campbell and Ada Juarez – are powerhouses in their own right. Recent single ‘Kool’ is a prime example of this: with vocals as strong as Edith Victoria’s it would be easy to focus solely on her and let the instruments fade into the background. But that’s impossible for Meet Me @ The Altar – every member of the band is giving it everything they’ve got, and each has the potential to become the very best of their craft. The result is a sense of perfectionism on an album where every piece fits together flawlessly. They push every song to the best that it can be, like the bright, electrifying attitude of ‘Same Language’.

Past // Present // Future strikes a delicate balance between these super-confident anthems and moments of striking vulnerability, heightening both emotions by constantly contrasting them. Album opener ‘Say It (To My Face)’ feels very different to the anxiety we heard on their debut EP, while ‘Try’ and ‘TMI’ introduce that same previous feeling into their frenetic pop-punk sound. Later, we hear their acoustic, more pop-oriented side with ‘A Few Tomorrows’, switching up the vibe for a moment of calm halfway through the album and allowing Edith Victoria to prove herself once again as the best new vocalist in pop-punk. Ending the album on ‘King Of Everything’ leaves us on a reminder of their confidence, but whatever they’re singing about, MM@TA are an unshakeable unit.

"By refusing to just blindly obey music industry trends, they’ve made pop-punk their own..."

There are references to the artists that came before them peppered throughout the album. ‘Same Language’ is the natural successor to early Avril Lavigne, and the fast-paced ‘It’s Over For Me’ is reminiscent of Fall Out Boy’s breakneck lyrics.

But Meet Me @ The Altar are not just following the crowd that came before them. By refusing to just blindly obey music industry trends, they’ve made pop-punk their own and on Past // Present // Future has cemented their place as the scene’s best young band.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: Meetme@thealter