Some five years after first emerging within the thriving heavy music community of the regional Northeast, Connecticut metal outfit Boundaries is now making their full length debut with the album, Your Receding Warmth.

In that time however, the band has refined their craft with a succession of EP releases and live show that continues to bridge the gap between hardcore combustion and metallic heft. In the last three years specifically, the band has served as support for the likes of The Acacia Strain, Spite, Knocked Loose, and Currents, flexing the kind of versatility needed to be able to play with such a variety of bands.

Im 2019, Boundaries would make an emphatic statement with the release of their lauded EP, My Body In Bloom. Earning critical praise and resonating well with a surging, servant fanbase, the EP seemed to signal a sea change for Boundaries in asserting their own identity among the ranks of heavy music's most promising prospects.

The band is now on the verge of yet another milestone with the release of the first full length LP. The initial reveal from the collection, "Carve," showcases a unit that is at the top of their respective game. Delivering a sound that equally heavy and dynamic, Boundaries have asserted their ability to meld genres and showcase their influences in a way that is uniquely their own.

Ahead of the November 13th debut on UnBeaten Records, the band has delivered another haymaker from the record with, "I'd Rather Not Say." A single boasting both instrumental prowess and emotional power, the second sample from Your Receding Warmth reiterates the band's consistency and nuanced approach to crafting dynamic heavy tunes.

Vocalist Matthew McDougal weighed in on the headpiece the band is in as they prepare to reintroduce themselves during especially strange times. The frontman discussed how the band has worked to forge their own identity, how the music of 'Warmth' built on the sound established in 'Bloom,' and how fair-weather fans have never been something to consider when getting to work.

Boundaries has been cultivating a very 'in the know' kind of following for the last 5 years. What prompted the band to make their full length debut during a pandemic?

McDougal - This record was actually entirely written and recorded before the pandemic hit (November 2019) and we knew from the beginning we wanted this to be a 2020 record. We weren’t going to make people wait 2+ years for our first full length when we had already done 2 EP’s, it was now or never, and we think people need new music to pass the time right now more than ever.

How important has Connecticut been to your identity as a band and to the sound of Boundaries? The region seems to nurture aggressive music.

McDougal - The northeast absolutely has a long decorated history of heavy music. Growing up there was a plethora of hardcore/punk and metal shows that facilitated our interest in music and performing. With that we knew there would be shows to play when we were ready and we knew we wanted to try and make our own version of blending the genres. When you come from an area so known for hardcore and metal, it can be hard to start a band and maintain your own identity, so that’s always been a priority for us.

“I'd Rather Not Say” really showcases a healthy mix of influences. Hardcore fans will find something in it. Metal fans will find something in it. Did toeing that line ever make it difficult for you to connect with fans, at least at first?

McDougal - For sure, to this day it’s a constant struggle when we are creating, we never know if people are going to “get” it like we do, but at a certain point you have to stop caring and just do what you want. Some people have eventually come around to liking our sound, some people phased out as we kept progressing, but that’s all part of the process, it’d be a mistake to be too concerned with fair weather fans.

How do you feel like you have progressed as songwriters from My Body In Bloom to Your Receding Warmth?

McDougal - We’ve all just been calling Your Receding Warmth “my body in bloom x2”. If you liked the EP you’ll love at least 50% of the record. If you didn’t like MBIB then the other 50% of YRW still has something for you. We improved our execution on things we were only hinting at on MBIB and filled out all the spaces in between with better songwriting overall, lyrically, musically, etc.

Both “Carve” and now “I’d Rather Not Say” really translate as violent and cathartic. How personal are these tracks for you and does it ever become emotionally taxing tapping into that kind of anger so often?

McDougal - I can honestly say that none of these feelings I’m trying to personify come from a place of anger, there’s maybe one “angry” song on the entire record and it isn’t any of the singles. The tracks are incredibly personal, Carve being about the unhealthy and violent relationship I ended up in after me and my long term partner separated and IRNS being more of a cathartic resolution of that long term relationship ending. I pull from the last conversation she and I ever had and explore that maybe sometimes there’s nothing left to talk about, you just have to live with the decisions made and continue in spite of it all. These lyrics come from a place of anxiety and frustration and the songs allow me to communicate serious and vulnerable thoughts I don’t think I otherwise could publicly. It’s taxing but it’s always worth it.

With touring not being an option, what are the band’s plan to share this new record with fans? Is the live streaming platform an option or is the plan to hold out until you can tour on this record?

McDougal - We have always considered ourselves a “live” band, or an act that is better when seen live than listened to recorded. With that being said we are also smart enough to not be touring or playing one off shows until we can do so responsibly. We have a few ideas to try and give people the version of us that they most enjoy while staying safe and if we can’t tour this record for a while and end up writing even more music before things are safe again, then so be it. The circumstances surrounding the music world right now are far from ideal but the stakes are higher than just our desire to play gigs again, people’s safety comes first.

Watch the premiere of "Id Rather Not Say" from Boundaries.

Pre-order the band's debut LP, Your Receding Warmth, dropping November 13th, on UnBeaten Records - HERE