Ian Shelton had a very busy 2020, with the release of his new band Militarie Gun's debut EP, his new band Sex With A Terrorist's (with Patrick Kindlon) demo, and two Regional Justice Center releases, the collaborative two-song EP with Trapped Under Ice/Angel Du$t frontman Justice Tripp and the "KKK Tattoo" single, the latter of which marked the band's Closed Casket Activities debut (following releases on Triple B, Atomic Action, and other labels). Now, Regional Justice Center have announced a new proper full-length, their second LP overall, Crime and Punishment. It arrives March 5 via CCA (pre-order), and along with the announcement comes the first two singles, "Absence" and "Inhuman Joy."

The album was produced by former Nails drummer Taylor Young, who Ian says helped pushed RJC's sound into new territory. "A lot of times my songwriting can be about deprivation—with grind, power violence, or any short form songwriting it’s about withholding until the right moment to make the most impact," Ian says. "Taylor really pushed me to be more open to those kinds of parts and find even more dynamics in the songs."

"I realized part way through writing that I was making a record about my roots and the way they shaped who I am," Ian continues. "The first half of the record is about cause and the second half is about consequence. Family members taught me to shoplift, I passed that on to my brother, it was planted in me so early that it was a normal thing. The title is literal but it’s also about wanting to change yourself."

You can definitely hear the musical progression of RJC on these killer lead singles, which you can check out below...

Tracklist
1. Taught To Steal
2. Dust Off
3. Absence
4. Inhuman Joy
5. Sickness On Display
6. Conquest
7. Concrete
8. Solvent
9. Violent Crime
10. ...And Punishment

Best Punk/Hardcore/Emo/etc Albums of 2020

See #45-21 here.