Purple Soul Ignition

I guess that Method Of Doubt's latest EP, Total Soul Ignition, technically came out at the end of 2025, but since we didn't see the vinyl release until early in 2026, I'll probably include it as one of my favorite hardcore records for this year. I don't get tired of listening to anything from this band.

When Scheme released a second pressing of the 7 inch, I didn't to hesitate to pick one up. Two options for colored vinyl for the first press, and one new color for the second pressing... as it should be.

300 pressed on purple.

Might as well pull out all three for a group photo.

Total Soul Ignition

If I'm thinking about my favorite newer hardcore bands from the last five years or so, Method Of Doubt would definitely be near the top of that list. Their Staring At Patterns album came out at the end of 2021, and I still bounce out of my seat when that bass line kicks off the record. Fuck. So good. What other new band can make me want to chase down every pressing they make? It's a short list for sure, but with Method Of Doubt, I need it.

I don't fuck around with Scheme releases. I'm still sore about missing out on the colored vinyl for the Wreckage 7 inch a couple years ago, so when Scheme releases something that I'm interested in, I don't waste time thinking about it... I just buy it. So when the label announced preorders for the new Method Of Doubt 7 inch, Total Soul Ignition, I didn't hesitate to grab both colors of the vinyl.

With this new 7 inch, Method Of Doubt do not disappoint and they give me exactly what I want. Look, there is no denying the classic hardcore greats... that shit can't be beat... but when I hear new stuff like this record, it makes me excited for hardcore. "I know our youth is leaving, but I still feel the same."

108 pressed on pink vinyl, and 165 on mint.

Three Million Copies Sold

Spoiler alert: the new Method Of Doubt record, Staring At Patterns, is going to be my Record Of The Year. I've easily listened to this record more than anything else that has been released this year. When I was posting the clear vinyl pressing here a couple months ago, I was once again knocked on my ass over just how much I enjoy this record... and when I start feeling that way, the only course of action is to buy more copies of it.

For the most part, I don't buy multiple copies of newer records. That isn't a game that I'm interested in playing anymore. This Method Of Doubt record though, man, I couldn't resist and knowing that there weren't 16 different pressings made it tempting to chase. Triple B had an exclusive variant, so I jumped into the store and grabbed that orange vinyl. 200 pressed.

I didn't think that I was interested in the splatter vinyl pressing, but given how badly I wanted to collect this record, I crawled down from my high horse and grabbed one off of Discogs. Thankfully, I didn't get gouged on it and was able to pick it up at a reasonable price. 300 pressed from IOU Records on splatter.

Three of a kind. Now let's see if I can continue to avoid buying the black vinyl.

Staring At Patterns

I remember that by the end of 2019 I was finding myself very excited over a bunch of new hardcore bands. Bands like Berthold City, Restraining Order, Magnitude and Rule Them All had just popped up on my radar, and it seemed like I was losing my mind over every new band that I would check out. One of the more underrated gems that I discovered was Method Of Doubt. Their Accepting What We Know 7 inch didn't seem to make much of an impact on most, but for me, I was fucking loving it.

After Covid stood everything on its head for a couple of years, I was excited to hear that Method Of Doubt were going to be releasing a new LP, and when preorders went up at the end of 2021 I was mashing that Add To Cart button. I usually like to wait until the physical record is actually in my hands before I listen to it, but with this Staring At Patterns album, there was no way that I was going to be able show any kind of restraint and as soon as it was available on Spotify, I was all over it. While I was hoping that this record lived up to my expectations, I really didn't think that I would love this as much as I do. Holy shit. From the opening bass line of the first song, I knew that this was going to be a special record. Every single song here hits me hard, and I fully expect that this is going to be my Record Of The Year for 2022. Eight months in and this record still gives me chills with how great it is.

Clear vinyl was available exclusively through Disorder Vinyl and was limited to 200.

Method Of Hardcore

This weekend I'm heading to Boston for the Triple B American Hardcore Fest. I haven't been to hardcore show in a long time, but the Saturday matinee show is full of rad new bands, so I decided to get off my ass and check it out. It also doesn't hurt that the show will be over by 5:00 so that I can be back home and in bed by 9:00 that night. Being an old man is a bitch.

When I was looking at the line up for the Saturday matinee show, there were a few bands on the bill that I'd never heard of before. I've been impressed with a bunch of new bands this year, and I decided to see if I could keep the streak going with Method Of Doubt. I brought up their 7 inch on Spotify and by the time the first song was over, I was trying to hunt down the vinyl. The first press on colored vinyl was completely sold out over at IOU Records, and they only had the second pressing on black vinyl available. Fuck that. I tracked down a copy on Discogs to get what I wanted.

112 presed on splatter vinyl.

This record is exactly what I'm looking for in hardcore. I don't know what it is with this record but it really pulls me back to those early 90's days when I was getting into hardcore...it just has this youthful energy that is infectious. I can't wait to see the band live this weekend.