A few years ago, the young Wilkes-Barre band One Step Closer came out sprinting with a fiery, sincere form of melodic hardcore that recalled past eras without ever putting quotation marks around what they were doing. They were a Stereogum Band To Watch back in 2021, and then they moved in a more expansive direction on their 2024 sophomore album All You Embrace . After dropping the one-off single " Jinx " last year, One Step Closer are ready to announce a whole new album called Zero .

One Step Closer recorded Zero with Drug Chuch/Drain collaborator Jon Markson, a producer who knows how to combine hardcore crunch with big, searing hooks.…