Description
Label Review.
2019 album. Rock. Also available on CD.
Our Overview.
Brooklyn four piece Bethlehem Steel are releasing their explosive self-titled, second full-length ‘Bethlehem Steel coming out this fall on Exploding In Sound Records, which follows their 2017 debut ‘Party Naked Forever’. The new album builds on the subtleties at the band’s core in ways the band had never explored without losing the wide range of raw and cathartic emotion they’re known for.
The New York based group Bethlehem Steel, create music that breaks free from the anxiety, unhealthy relationships, and toxic masculinity around them to simply be itself; powerful, deeply personal, and untamed. There’s no holding back Rebecca Ryskalczyk’s songs, which are bold and triumphantly pushed to their breaking point.
The 10-track effort captures the latest incarnation of Bethlehem Steel, which has expanded to a four-piece after bringing in new member Christina Puerto. Not only did the additional musician enrich the group’s sound, but Puerto ended up having a profound impact on the album’s themes. Specifically, it was Puerto’s tight bond with guitarist/vocalist Becca Ryskalczyk that influenced a good chunk of the lyrics. Ryskalczyk explained:
“A lot of the lyrical content on this album is uncomfortable. It’s about men, and being taken advantage of, or abandoned or fucked over. I’ve been playing with the boys in the band for many years and they have always been sympathetic to my experiences, but there are certain things about what women experience that they will never understand, and having another woman as part of the band brought a different comfort and a sense of solidarity. Based on what’s happening in my life, I would still probably have sung about these things, but I don’t know what it would have been like without Christina. It wouldn’t have felt as powerful.”
Bethlehem Steel which was originally made up of Rebecca Ryskalczyk (vocals/guitars), Jon Gernhart (drums) and Patrick Ronayne (bass), the band was joined by Christina Puerto in 2018 on guitar and vocals. Puerto and Ryskalczyk’s songwriting plays off each other in brilliantly balanced ways that are outspoken and vulnerable, while counterpointed by a muscular fury. Bethlehem Steel is prepared to take on the world once again with 10 diverse and honest tracks about processing one’s experiences and trying to take care of yourself.