Cleveland’s Heart Attack Man have a good grip on what makes emo powerful, but they also know what can make it awful. On their second album, this month’s Fake Blood (Triple Crown/You Did This), they mock the worst of the 2000s emo community—a subset of musicians who dabbled in pushing an incel agenda—with the tongue-in-cheek anthem “Out for Blood.” On that track, Heart Attack Man use the hot-blooded pop-punk hooks of emo’s commercial peak to soundtrack the self-righteous narrator’s misplaced indignation—showing that they can be as sly as their melodies are big (which is to say, “very”). These guys know that a focused guitar melody, a propulsive rhythm section, and some raggedy, mournful screams can help convey the strength, poise, and determination we need to deal with a confusing world—and in their lyrics, they go even further, demolishing toxic fantasies and working toward a more inclusive future. v
Cleveland four-piece Heart Attack Man twist emo tropes into new shapes
