Cleveland’s Delayed Gratification Records is starting off 2023 with a pair of pulverizing tracks from their hometown. The Cleveland metalcore band Captive debuted about a year ago with a gnarly, combustible self-titled EP, and today they’ve returned with a two-song promo single that hits just as hard if not harder. “End Of A Rope” begins with pounding, tumbling, destabilizing chaos then cuts loose with rip-roaring d-beat, a crushing half-time lurch, and pummeling hardcore chord riff. The track fits a lot of different forms of sonic violence into two and a half minutes. B-side “Rubberneck” is half as long but perhaps even more ruthlessly intense, matching blast beats and insane double-kick action with burly vocals and unhinged pinch harmonics. Hear both songs below.