Modern Life Is War return with new single “Bloodsport” ahead of album release

Midwestern hardcore punk veterans Modern Life Is War are gearing up for a major return with their upcoming album “Life on the Moon”, set for release on September 5th via Deathwish Inc. and Iodine Recordings. The record will be their first full-length in over twelve years, following 2013’s “Fever Hunting”, and promises a raw yet richly layered take on melodic hardcore.

The latest reveal from the album is “Bloodsport”, appearing as track ten on the thirteen-song setlist, positioned between “In the Shadow of Ingredion” and “Kid Hard Dub.” While the song hasn’t been officially singled out in the same way as the recently released “Jackie Oh No”, it’s part of the same ambitious creative push that’s shaping the band’s long-awaited comeback.

Earlier this summer, the band introduced the album with “Johnny Gone”, a track loaded with themes of revolution, economic struggle, and storytelling grit. They followed it with “Jackie Oh No”, a ballad-turned-hardcore anthem steeped in imagery of obsessive love and assassination folklore, stretching from rugged badlands to dusty libraries. Vocalist Jeff Eaton described the song’s origins as a “ballad covered in cobwebs,” deliberately approached as if he had no prior experience in that style. The result is a haunting and intense anthem for those consumed by passion—and willing to pay the price.

“Life on the Moon” is described as a tribute to loss and grief, capturing both struggle and the beauty of existence through an emotionally charged hardcore lens. Produced alongside longtime collaborator Brooks Strause, the album expands the band’s sonic palette with violin, viola, saxophones, organs, synths, and layered backing vocals.

The album is already available for pre-order in digital and vinyl formats, including limited-edition colored variants. With three tracks now out in the open, the new album is shaping up to be an intense, deeply personal, and musically adventurous return for the band.

1. Invocation
2. First Song on the Moon
3. There Is a Telephone That Never Stops Ringing
4. Empty Shoes
5. Jackie Oh No
6. Johnny Gone
7. Homecoming Queen
8. You Look Like the Morning Sun
9. In the Shadow of Ingredion
10. Bloodsport
11. Kid Hard Dub
12. Over the Road
13. Talismanic