One Step Closer

Zero (Pre-Order)

One Step Closer started a decade ago in Wilkes Barre, coming from the same musically fertile ground that bore Tigers Jaw, Title Fight, and more. Their 2019 EP From Me To You established them as a new voice in hardcore, with co-signs coming in the form of tours with Have Heart and Turnstile, and soon after they released This Place You Know, a mighty and melancholic debut LP that could best be described as “a bildungsroman you can mosh to.” OSC toured relentlessly and poured that experience into 2024’s All You Embrace, blending in more melody and further broadening the scope of what the band was capable of. Their creative force expanded beyond the songs as well with OSC continually pushing the envelope with unique merch items including skateboards, fingerboards, jean shorts, parkas, and even cereal boxes, crafting a world around the band where fun and sensitivity don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

Sentimentality is built into every One Step Closer song–it’s what elevates their music and makes hundreds of people climb over one another to grab the mic and sing along at festivals like Sound & Fury and Outbreak–but there’s a palpable sadness that sits at the heart of ZERO. “This may have been the hardest year for us, and that’s reflected in the songs” says Savitski. “There’s so much desperation on this record but I think people can relate to that–these songs will always mean something different to me than everyone else, no one is living the same exact experiences, but I want people to take these songs and mold them to fit their own.”

The result is a record that’s bursting with life but also has a somber appreciation for its preciousness. This ethos is clearer than ever on standouts like “Blue Hour” and “Was It Ever Enough?”, the two lead-singles from ZERO that have connected music videos both directed by the band. “Blue Hour” begins at dusk–night setting in on a gas station parking lot with a solemn, ominous guitar cycling over a muted drum loop. It’s the boldest sonic step in OSC’s career so far, with Savitski singing more clearly and confidently than ever, despite the lyric’s dour tone: “There’s death in my hands / still I haven’t paid enough” he sings mournfully, just moments before the song explodes into a raucous climax as the band plays on a homemade skate ramp with friends providing DIY pyrotechnics in the form of fireworks and lighter + aerosol can combinations. It’s the perfect mix of “do not try this at home” insanity and hyper earnest emotional outpouring that OSC excel at. Then the sun rises on Wilkes Barre and “Was It Ever Enough?” kicks off with circle-pit pacing and jagged guitar riffs that eventually break down into a groovy, sing-along outro in classic One Step Closer fashion. The song’s video is the daylit, sleep-deprived counterpart to “Blue Hour’s” eerie night moves, capturing the song’s energy with spraypainting, stagediving and sunburning. Elsewhere there’s “About A Boy,” a fiery statement of purpose featuring vocals from longtime supporter Pat Flynn (Fiddlehead, Have Heart).

It makes sense for a band whose name evokes an eternal, Sisyphean struggle to treat each record as a challenge to not only push themselves farther, always in search of more connection with anyone who will listen.On Zero, One Step Closer strives to challenge themselves and also push their listeners into new places. “Sometimes I listen to a song over and over again because it’s giving me chills or just making me feel a certain emotion. I want people to walk away from this record feeling that way about at least one song– if that happens, I’ll feel like we did something right.”

Tracklist:
1. Numb With Sleep
2. Until You Bloom 
3. About a Boy
4. August 
5. Blue Hour 
6. Write My Wrongs 
7. Drowning Skies 
8. Was It Ever Enough? 
9. A Fleeting Face 
10. “For Them”

Pressing Information:
150 OSC Splatter / 150 (Run For Cover Magic Circle Subscription Exclusive)
200 Night Owl / 200 (Run For Cover Exclusive with Alternate Cover)
400 Blue Skies / 400 (Run For Cover Exclusive)
500 Bubblegum Pink Marble / 500 (One Step Closer Exclusive)
1050 Eco Mix
1000 Blue Hour / 1000 (First Run Club Indie Retail Exclusive)
250 Pink in Clear with Black Splatter (Smartpunk Exclusive)
200 Solar Flare (Gallery of Sound Exclusive)
250 Blue Galaxy Swirl (Devil Dog Exclusive)

Release Date: February 19, 2027

Please Note, this item is for PRE-ORDER! All items are expected to ship by FEBRUARY 19, 2027. *Any orders containing a "Pre-Order" item will ship together when the pre-order ships. Please make a separate order if you wish to receive non pre-order items before the pre-order ship date.* Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.