Quite simply, imagine Against Me! going for a few beers with the Foo Fighters and coincidentally bumping into Bruce Springsteen. Voilà – Cold Years! The band was formed in 2014 by singer/guitarist Ross Gordon, guitarist Finlay Urquhart, bassist Louis Craighead, and drummer Fraser Allan. After the „Death Chasers“ EP in 2016 and initial concerts in the UK, the prestigious Kerrang! magazine crowned Cold Years as the „hottest band of the year“ in 2019. In 2020, their highly acclaimed debut album, „Paradise,“ was released, receiving support from Kerrang! (#42 in the Top 50 Albums of 2020), Rock Sound, Upset, Alt Press, NPR, American Songwriter, Visions (DE), and many others. The band achieved numerous positive milestones through playlist placements, including New Punk Tracks, The Punk List, All New Rock, Rock Rotation, Pop Punk’s Not Dead, Covered In Punk, New Noise, The Scene, NMF Suomi, VOLUME SUOMI. „Paradise“ even made it onto the charts: #36 on the UK Indie Charts, #7 on the Indie Breakers Chart, #16 on the Scottish Album Charts, #17 on the German Metal-Rock Chart, and reached #4 (Rock) and #21 (All Genres) on iTunes.
However, the pandemic halted all plans, but in September 2020, Cold Years managed to make their debut in Germany in Hamburg. Due to the lockdown, Gordon was forced to exchange ideas with Louis and Fin through email instead of discussing things over a beer in pubs as they used to. Filled with new energy and emotions, the band decided to unleash their musical creativity and step out of their comfort zone on „Goodbye To Misery“ (2022). Originally, one of the songs was seven minutes long. In another song, a 1940s air-raid siren can be heard. They even considered using bagpipes at one point (…perhaps next time). The drums, played by Sam Ogden of Static Dress, the „successor to John Bonham,“ took center stage, incorporating marching beats, snare rolls, and fills that elevated what used to be a simple 4/4 rhythm. At other moments, you can hear the stadium-worthy command of a Green Day chorus combined with the kind of malevolence found in the melodic brilliance of Against Me! in full throttle. As Ross says, „It’s a damn punk rock record“ with a free-spirited and fearless attitude. The bold opener „32“ showcases the entire „We’re Generation Fuck It All“ glory of this band that has nothing to lose and gives everything they have in every moment. „None of us will ever pay off our mortgages, none of us will be debt-free, and none of us will retire,“ the singer explains. „All of that is over for our generation. But that’s why we’re really good at taking risks.
While previous generations were more cautious. I don’t give a damn about what happens to me when I’m 65. You have to live life in the moment. You have to take risks. And that’s something I was always afraid of. But now, I’m not afraid anymore.“ Amidst all this newfound optimism and positivity, „Goodbye To Misery“ also contains more legitimate anger and rebellion than you’ll find on most modern punk records. If anything, Cold Years sound even angrier than ever before. Understandably so, as there are many reasons for it, such as „Britain Is Dead.“ A song that reminds us that if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention. „It’s not even political; it’s a moral stance. Since Brexit, our country has been a damn shame,“ says Gordon without hesitation. „People are fighting over toilet paper. There are supermarkets trying to slap a Union Jack on everything to make it look premium. There’s nothing to be proud of being British. The empire spent years exploiting and plundering civilizations. Being British is not something I identify with, and I don’t think most people of our generation think it’s cool. It’s embarrassing. And now, we’re the laughingstock of the world.“ As the world slowly returns to what it used to be, there are many reasons to be joyful, including Cold Years making a splash on the Radio Germany Rock Charts! The single „62“ climbed to #3, „Nights Like This“ reached #6, „Life With A View“ #13, „Good As Hell“ #3, and the previous single release „Home“ reached #5.
