{"id":44373,"date":"2026-02-26T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T17:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44373"},"modified":"2026-02-15T10:57:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T15:57:51","slug":"the-haunted-youth-return-louder-darker-and-done-with-holding-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44373","title":{"rendered":"The Haunted Youth return louder, darker, and done with holding back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Belgium\u2019s brooding heartbreak specialists&nbsp;<strong>The Haunted Youth<\/strong>&nbsp;are back\u2014and they\u2019re not holding anything in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The band have officially signed to\u00a0<strong>Play It Again Sam<\/strong>\u00a0and announced their sophomore album \u2018<strong>Boys Cry Too<\/strong>,\u2019 landing May 8, 2026. Alongside the news comes the album\u2019s first gut-punch of a single,\u00a0<strong><em>deathwish<\/em><\/strong>, featuring Orlando-based singer-songwriter\u00a0<strong>Max Fry<\/strong>, complete with a striking new video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z8Bh8SmuqkU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>If their debut\u00a0\u2018Dawn Of The Freak\u2019\u00a0felt like a late-night bedroom confession,\u00a0\u2018Boys Cry Too\u2019\u00a0is Joachim Liebens kicking the door clean off its hinges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally a solo project, The Haunted Youth return sounding bigger, louder, and far more emotionally volatile. From the towering eight-minute opener \u201cin my head\u201d to the closing haze of \u201cghost girl,\u201d the album trades wide-eyed innocence for confrontation\u2014fragile melodies colliding head-on with distortion, aggression, and raw nerve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<em>I was a kid on\u00a0Dawn Of The Freak<\/em>,\u201d Liebens admits. \u201c<em>It sounds like nursery rhymes to me now\u2014fragile, childlike, a cry for attention. And now? I\u2019m angsty and kicking in doors.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That energy pulses throughout\u00a0\u2018Boys Cry Too\u2019. You can drift into the icy, morning-after regret of <em>wake up<\/em>, or ride the propulsive, almost\u00a0<strong>New Order<\/strong>-like momentum of <em>i hear voices<\/em>. But more often than not, the album lives in darker corners: the goth-grunge thrash of <em>murder me<\/em>, or the scorched-earth instrumental <em>falling to pieces<\/em>, which feels like total emotional collapse set to sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Liebens is upfront about the album\u2019s emotional arc. The first half is guarded, paranoid, and angry\u2014the version of masculinity we\u2019re used to seeing when boys are heartbroken. The second half cracks that armor wide open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<em>I want to show the vulnerable part of men and boys<\/em>,\u201d he says. \u201c<em>And celebrate it instead of turning it into a stigma.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That shift is mirrored sonically. Live drums and guitars take center stage this time, pushing past the sun-bleached synths of the debut. On <em>castlevania<\/em>, Liebens describes the sound as a perfect storm of\u00a0<strong>Nirvana<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Alice In Chains<\/strong>, and\u00a0<em>Loveless<\/em>-era\u00a0<strong>My Bloody Valentine<\/strong>\u2014a reference point that makes total sense once the guitars start howling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, much of the album was written while Liebens was deep into hip hop, citing emo-rap icon&nbsp;<strong>Lil Peep<\/strong>&nbsp;as a key influence. The goal wasn\u2019t neat resolution, but instantly gripping lines that listeners could project their own pain onto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the magic of\u00a0\u2018Boys Cry Too\u2019. Born from Liebens\u2019 own bruises, it leaves enough space for yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?resize=1000%2C1000&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7106.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018Boys Cry Too\u2019 track list<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>in my head<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>castlevania<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>deathwish<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>emo song<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>wake up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>hurt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>murder me<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>falling to pieces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>i hear voices<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>forget me<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ghost girl<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark May 8 down in your calendar. This one\u2019s going to hit hard\u2014and linger even longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Belgium\u2019s brooding heartbreak specialists&nbsp;The Haunted Youth&nbsp;are back\u2014and they\u2019re not holding anything in. The band have officially signed to\u00a0Play It Again Sam\u00a0and announced their sophomore album <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44373\" title=\"The Haunted Youth return louder, darker, and done with holding back\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,28,30,1907],"tags":[13131,3144,13132,13130],"class_list":["post-44373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","tag-boys-cry-too","tag-darkwave","tag-deathwish","tag-the-haunted-youth"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7105-e1771170961426.jpeg?fit=900%2C684&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bxH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44872,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44872","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":0},"title":"The Haunted Youth are kicking in doors: Hear the goth-grunge fury of \u2018murder me\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s a quote buried in the press materials for The Haunted Youth\u2019s new record that pretty much says it all. Frontman Joachim Liebens, reflecting on his debut Dawn Of The Freak, reckons it sounds like nursery rhymes now. \u201cEverything is so fragile and childlike,\u201d he says with a grin. \u201cAnd\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Haunted Youth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0181-e1773876152432.jpeg?fit=900%2C716&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0181-e1773876152432.jpeg?fit=900%2C716&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0181-e1773876152432.jpeg?fit=900%2C716&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0181-e1773876152432.jpeg?fit=900%2C716&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45376,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45376","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":1},"title":"The Haunted Youth are done playing nice \u2014 new single \u2018wake up\u2019 signals a rawer chapter","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"April 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Fresh off sold-out shows in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, The Haunted Youth are keeping the momentum going with wake up, the latest single lifted from their forthcoming album 'Boys Cry Too', due out May 8th, 2026 via Play It Again Sam. If you were expecting more of the delicate bedroom-pop\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Haunted Youth","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0669-e1777116322898.jpeg?fit=1200%2C936&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0669-e1777116322898.jpeg?fit=1200%2C936&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0669-e1777116322898.jpeg?fit=1200%2C936&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0669-e1777116322898.jpeg?fit=1200%2C936&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_0669-e1777116322898.jpeg?fit=1200%2C936&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32220,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=32220","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":2},"title":"Frail Body sign to Deathwish Inc. + announce new album  \u2018A Brief Memoriam\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"October 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Illinois-based\u00a0Frail Body\u00a0embodies the spirit and soul of what many define as \u201cscreamo;\u201d their songs are lamentations about nihilism, death, anxiety, existentialism and hopelessness of existence in modern American society. Both lyrically and sonically they unfurl with ground-shaking emotion.\u00a0 Their forthcoming album,\u00a0'A Brief Memoriam,' will be released\u00a0on November 1st via Deathwish\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Frail Body press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/80ww_681611.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/80ww_681611.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/80ww_681611.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/80ww_681611.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43052,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=43052","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":3},"title":"Chastity drops unreleased b-side \u2018Jittery\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"June 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Chastity\u2014the ever-evolving brainchild of Brandon Williams\u2014is back with a previously unreleased b-side that hits just as hard as the emotional core of the self-titled record it was left off of. The track,\u00a0Jittery, is out now and serves as a raw, buzzing companion piece to the already intense LP\u00a0\u2018Chastity,\u2019 released via\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Chastity press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4858.jpeg?fit=900%2C597&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4858.jpeg?fit=900%2C597&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4858.jpeg?fit=900%2C597&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_4858.jpeg?fit=900%2C597&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":32883,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=32883","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":4},"title":"Deathwish newcomers Greet Death share new single &#8216;Crush&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Michigan trio Greet Death have shared their new single Crush which is lifted from their sophomore album, \u2018New Hell\u2019. Peppering a post-rock approach with the heart-on-sleeve lyricism of classic punk and the gauzy shoegaze, 'New Hell' runs the gamut of sound and feeling. The follow-up to their acclaimed debut album\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Greet Death press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/80ww_364663.jpeg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/80ww_364663.jpeg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/80ww_364663.jpeg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/80ww_364663.jpeg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43483,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=43483","url_meta":{"origin":44373,"position":5},"title":"Modern Life Is War announce first album in 12 years + Drop haunting new single \u2018Jackie Oh No\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"July 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hardcore heavyweights\u00a0Modern Life Is War\u00a0are officially back with\u00a0\u2018Life on the Moon\u2019\u2014their first proper full-length album in over a decade, landing September 5 via Deathwish Inc. (digital) and Iodine Recordings (physical). Yeah, it's been twelve long years, but trust us\u2014it\u2019s been worth the wait. The new record dives deep into grief,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"Modern Life Is War press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5200.jpeg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5200.jpeg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5200.jpeg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IMG_5200.jpeg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44373"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44377,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44373\/revisions\/44377"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/44376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}