Boise, Idaho hardcore band Rejection Pact are releasing a two-song 2022 promo on Safe Inside Records on July 8, and we're now premiering one of the songs, "Social Murder." The song was recorded by Ryan Morgan of Misery Signals and mixed by Taylor Young of Twitching Tongues (who also works with Regional Justice Center, Drain, and tons of other great hardcore bands), and here's what vocalist Devin Boudreaux says about it:
We got the term “Social Murder” from this German socialist Frederick Engels back in the 1800s. Here’s a quote from them on how they came up with the term:
When one individual inflicts bodily injury upon another such that death results, we call the deed manslaughter; when the assailant knew in advance that the injury would be fatal, we call his deed murder. But when society places hundreds of proletarians in such a position that they inevitably meet a too early and an unnatural death, one which is quite as much a death by violence as that by the sword or bullet; when it deprives thousands of the necessaries of life, places them under conditions in which they cannot live – forces them, through the strong arm of the law, to remain in such conditions until that death ensues which is the inevitable consequence – knows that these thousands of victims must perish, and yet permits these conditions to remain, its deed is murder just as surely as the deed of the single individual; disguised, malicious murder, murder against which none can defend himself, which does not seem what it is, because no man sees the murderer, because the death of the victim seems a natural one, since the offence is more one of omission than of commission. But murder it remains.
Our feelings as a band is that it’s really sad that in 2022 well over 100 years since that term was coined these conditions and clear abuses of power are still rampant in society. We work longer hours, multiple jobs, put strain on our bodies both physically & mentally, and live in a constant state of “eventually.”
The song itself is about noticing all of the empty promises and slogans that companies or even society will toss your way to ease the reality of being manipulated & taken advantage of as a means to put a roof over your head, food on your plate, have any semblance of a life. We’ve been conditioned to applaud the bare minimum and it’s heartbreaking. When you see news articles about employees pooling together their sick pay so they can give it to an employee and everyone rejoices over that like what the fuck? Why couldn’t their employer just do the right thing in the first place? The American Dream is bullshit and it feels like things will never get better.