Tiger Knives have a new single and video out now, and “Bitter End” hits exactly as hard as the name suggests. The Raleigh post-punk quartet deliver angular, gothic-hued guitars and a slow-burn tension that draws clear lines back to Wire and The Fall, while pulling in the heavier, coiled-spring energy of early Deftones and Type O Negative. The mantra “time is not your friend” runs through the track like a current, and the deliberate pacing and disjointed rhythms make the stagnation at the song’s core feel visceral and immediate. This is heavy music that knows how to breathe.
The accompanying video matches the mood with collage-style fragmentation, oversaturated tones, and band members drifting in and out of focus. It leans into the song’s themes of uncertain limbo without over-explaining them, adding genuine retro texture to an already strong track. Tiger Knives formed in 2019 as a two-piece under Jake Craven and Brandon Howell before expanding to a full quartet, releasing their debut LP ‘Ruminations’ on Bleeding Ghost Records in 2023. “Bitter End” signals a band that has found its footing and is moving with purpose.