Or Does It Explode (album release), We Should Have Been DJs, Big Sloth, Hottt Probs

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courtesy Or Does It Explode?

The band Or Does It Explode?

Or Does It Explode?

media release: Or Does It Explode will release their fourth full-length album, Realities Disguised as Symbols, on June 18th, 2026. This is their first release with Middle-Man Records. The album offers a return to their post-hardcore roots, while not completely abandoning the more melodic territory they explored on their previous release. Recorded over a week at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago, IL, this album is a meditation on the times we currently live in.

…or Does it Explode? (oDiE) has made a name for themselves in the local Madison music scene, as well as the broader regional Midwest scene. Guitarist Brandon Boggess, bassist J Granberg guitarist/singer Shawn Bass, drummer Erik Rasmuson, and vocalist Katya Pierce have released three previous albums—Swan, The Medium is the Message, and Tales to Needed Outcomes—to positive reviews. Their album, The Medium is the Message, was voted one of the top 50 releases of 2023 by the Italian zine Rockambula, who said it “could easily be a Dischord classic.” Tone Madison ranked Tales to Needed Outcomes as one of the top 20 releases in Madison of 2025 stating, “…or Does It Explode explore compositional subversion with confidence (and highly-technical instrumental ability), leading to a memorable listening experience that points to an enticing future.”

Their new full-length release, Realities Disguised as Symbols, brings back the familiar angular rhythms, dark undertones, occasionally screamed vocals, and general post-hardcore aesthetic oDiE became known for, while also retaining the melody and Midwest emo twinkle explored on their last release. Though not a concept album by design, the recurring themes reflect the encroaching authoritarianism and oligarchy attempting to take hold in the USA, amidst the backdrop of insufferable wars and humanitarian crises throughout the world. As has always been the case, oDiE mixes social/political commentary with a humanistic lens.

The creation of this album was a special endeavor. The band had the opportunity to spend a week recording at the legendary Electrical Audio Studios of Steve Albini fame. Recording in the same general space as Don Caballero, Neurosis, The Saddest Landscape, and literally hundreds of others was a surreal, hallowed experience. It was recorded and mixed by Jon San Paolo and mastered by David Eck.

Realities Disguised as Symbols will be released on June 18th, 2026, on vinyl, CD, Bandcamp, and all popular streaming services. The band will embark on a four-day album release mini-tour on the following days and places:

June 18th – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club

June 19th – Madison, WI – Gamma Ray

June 20th – Minneapolis, MN – Zhora Darling

June 21st – Chicago, IL – Burlington Bar