Roman Candle isn’t afraid to just straight up let it rip on Unadulterated, where the Las Vegas band’s songs begin like they’re already in mid-explosion. From the raging guitar riffs that continually try to push you over the edge to the kind of lyrical open wounds that’ll make you question your own sanity; this is a band that sounds like they really don’t have any other choice than but to do this.

Formed around vocalist Piper Ferrari and guitarist Jonas Vece after the dissolution of their previous project sowithout., Roman Candle emerged from the hardcore underground with a clear mission, to push the scene toward something more vulnerable, visceral and deliberate. Their 2022 debut EP, Discount Fireworks, was the first sign of that goal, drawing from the emotional volatility of classic screamo while incorporating the sharper edges of modern hardcore.

Since then, Roman Candle have steadily gotten stronger. Singles including “Fire In The Night Sky Forever,” “This Band Has Led Me To Places I Wouldn’t Go With a Gun” and “Nothing Is Original” show a band increasingly interested in the blurred line between chaos and clarity. “Can We Watch Something Happy?” pushed that unfiltered directness even further, taking Ferrari’s personal experiences and adding another piece to the Roman Candle puzzle.

The band spent much of 2023 and 2024 road-testing new material, sharing stages with Dying Wish, Boundaries, Militarie Gun, Foreign Hands and Pool Kids, while also appearing alongside heavyweights including Touché Amoré, Botch and Better Lovers. Those shows helped Roman Candle find the audience they were writing the songs for. 

On Unadulterated, that connection feels central. Ferrari’s vocals come across like they’re in a fist fight with Vece’s serrated guitar playing, but in the end they come together as they realize they’re on the same mission. Unadulterated captures that balance nicely. It’s music that sounds wounded without sounding defeated, furious without losing its sense of purpose, made for people who feel the same way.