Having formed in 2010 out of the Baltimore hardcore scene, Turnstile is one of the veteran bands coming from this new wave of hardcore and alternative music, with notable releases such as their debut album, “Nonstop Feeling,” and their most recent album, “Never Enough.” For the past two months, Turnstile has been touring across America to celebrate the release of the album. 

After releasing their hit album, “Glow On,” in 2021, Turnstile had established a notable presence in mainstream music. They made a name for themselves over the decade they’ve been active, achieving feats such as being one of the only hardcore bands to

play on mainstream radio.

Turnstile has come a long way from their humble beginnings, from playing in small, cramped venues like St. Stephen’s Church in Washington, D.C., to playing shows at bigger spaces such as The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

One of their more notable shows took place right here in Seattle, where they performed live at WAMU Theater Oct. 7th to a packed and exhilarated crowd. Backed by bands such as Jane Remover, Speed, and Amyl and The Sniffers, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement, and the crowd could barely contain themselves.  

“Turnstile was amazing,” Deacon Koho, a concertgoer, said. “The artistry of the performance was something I’ve never seen before.” 

Turnstile had put on quite the show for the Seattle crowd, displaying amazing visuals as well as practical effects that truly made the experience unique and memorable. Opening up with their title track off “Never Enough,” the crowd erupted in a euphoric frenzy that was nothing short of magical, and for the next hour and a half, the room never lacked in raw energy. 

Stage-divers, crowd-surfers and moshers all came together to create a spectacle of youth and pure, unadulterated community that is truly special to hardcore.    

“The concert had an enormous positive energy,” Alexia Plazola, a second-year environmental studies major, said. “[That energy] didn’t seem to die down.

However, Turnstile has been a controversial name within the hardcore community for some time. Some individuals have criticized them for changing their sound to fit a more mainstream audience (also known as “selling out”) and slowly drifting from their hardcore roots. Other individuals praise them for creating a unique blend of pop and hardcore elements.

“I enjoy [Turnstile’s] hardcore stuff more.” Taryn Walters, a first-year forensic science major, said. “I think their new stuff still sounds really good.”

Even though this shift in their sound is looked down upon by many, the energy Turnstile brings to the table is undoubtedly unmatched and unlike anything seen before.

There’s no argument that Turnstile has been making strides to open up alternative and hardcore music to a broader audience; it’s allowing for a variety of different subcultures and crowds to homogenize into one. That effort was put on full display during their Seattle show, with a mix of young hardcore dancers, hyperpop fans and older folks in one tightly packed crowd. The hardcore and underground community is divided over Turnstile’s decision to open up hardcore to a wider audience.

“The Turnstile’s ‘Never Enough Tour” will be beneficial for hardcore and underground,” Koho stated. “I’ve always been of the belief that hardcore has been a genre for anyone but also not for everyone, because anyone is welcome, but not everyone is going to enjoy it.”

Many agree it’s a double-edged sword when it comes to Turnstile making the genre more accessible.

“In some ways, yes, [this will benefit underground music], in other ways, no,” Walters shared.

“Underground music like hardcore…is all about community and having more people to join that community is always a good thing. [However,] there are always going to be those people who don’t understand…the things we believe in.”

Alternative sub-genres in music—specifically punk and hardcore—have historically been vocal and active in political and social justice movements. These music genres are inherently intertwined with progressive ideologies and movements, and the argument could be made that with the introduction of a mainstream audience, these values could drift to the wayside and be lost. 

Turnstile and the other bands featured at the WAMU Oct. 7 have all made clear their progressive beliefs, with Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers kicking off her set with obscenities directed at Donald Trump to a lively and receptive audience. 

Turnstile has already established themselves as a prolific powerhouse in modern-day music; without a doubt, they’ve bridged the gaps between the mainstream and the underground and has continually exposed countless people to hardcore. They’ve helped usher in a new era of alternative music and have made great strides in their career. Even as popular as they are now, they still stay true to the roots of hardcore by creating a sense of community and brotherhood among their fans.