Jade Dust are a Santa Barbara band who formed during the pandemic and whose members have been in groups like Lumber Lung and Become. The band’s whole style is driving, crashing, emotional hardcore, and it draws heavily on the Washington, DC sound of the late ’80s and early ’90s. (I’m guessing they’re named after Shudder To Think’s 1990 song “Jade-Dust Eyes.”) That kind of thing, when done with intensity and conviction, really hits me right in the heart. Jade Dust do it right.

Right now, Jade Dust are working on their debut EP, and they’ve just released a five-song demo. Sometimes, hardcore bands’ demos are their actual debut releases. With this one, it really sounds like a demo. The recording quality is murky, and the playing seems a bit rushed. But the whole sound is there. The demo is all potential, but if they make good on that potential, then this band could be something special. Check it out below.

The Jade Dust demo is out now on Extinction Burst, and it’s a pay-what-you-want download at Bandcamp.