Bethlehem Steel is a force. Yes, they’re punk, and yes, they’re loud but the members of Bethlehem Steel perform with purpose and propulsion. Listen to “Fake Sweater,” a cut from the group’s split with Porky near the end of 2018, for reference. The classic alt-rock loud-soft dynamic establishes the song but it’s the howling bridge section in which the members yell at the seeming brink of desperation “will I be alright?” that earns a need for repeated listens. You can see Bethlehem Steel next at Bowery Ballroom when the band opens for Big Ups’ final show. – Cameron Carr
