If your idea of a good time involves blown-out riffs, sweat dripping from the ceiling and feeling personally attacked by a breakdown, allow us to introduce your new obsession: Pincer+.
The Perth hardcore crew have just dropped their debut album Who Are You When No One’s Around, and it’s the kind of record that doesn’t just slap – it straight up punches you in the teeth.
Pincer+ – ‘endless’
The album dives headfirst into themes of isolation, guilt, anger and that eerie emotional limbo between feeling everything and feeling nothing. According to the band, it’s about “losing control, pulling yourself apart, and trying to figure out who you are… facing the parts of yourself that only show up when no one’s watching.”
If you’ve already clocked singles like ‘Hard 2 Kill’, ‘Blue Light Overdose’ or ‘Yours To Erase’, you’ll hear just how hard this band have levelled up. Following recent lineup changes – with Jaiden Higgon stepping in on vocals and Isryan Shah on bass – Pincer+ made the call to wipe the slate clean and rebuild from the ground up. The result? A record that feels heavier, more focused, and way more dangerous than anything they’ve done before.
Despite being early in their journey, Pincer+ already boast a cult-like following and have shared stages with absolute juggernauts like Kublai Khan, Stray From The Path, Like Moths To Flames, Justice For The Damned, Void Of Vision and In Hearts Wake – not bad for a band that’s only just getting started.
They’ll officially launch the album at Perth’s Froth & Fury Festival in January 2026 alongside Polaris, Soulfly and more, before tearing up the East Coast in February with Zuko.
Pincer+ are Jaiden Higgon (vocals), Josh Ang & Jordan Burn (guitars), Isryan Shah (bass) and Jack Nelson (drums), and with Who Are You When No One’s Around now out in the wild, this feels like the moment where Perth hardcore officially gets its next breakout band.
Suss their upcoming live dates down below or get their new record into your ears right here.
Froth & Fury 2026 Dates
- Saturday January 24 – Perth HPC, Mount Claremont, W.A – Tickets Here
Dates Supporting Zuko
- Friday, 13th Feb – The Catfish, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
- Saturday, 14th Feb – The Burdekin Hotel, Sydney
- Friday, 27th Feb – The Brightside, Brisbane
Tickets on sale now via Oztix
Further Reading
Froth & Fury 2026 Line-Up: Polaris, Soulfly, In Hearts Wake + More
