MUELAS bring relevant emotional hardcore to Boggs
by Scott “Molar” Belzer
It’s 2026, folks. New year, new you, new me, new chances to come together for the almighty TUNES. And just in case you haven’t been paying attention: new things to be pissed off about. On a daily basis. Moment to moment, really.
Just ask the crazy kids in MUELAS—Atlanta’s own bilingual emotional hardcore powerhouse. Birthed in 2025, Muelas (“molars” in Spanish) has been taking swings at the fascist state through intelligent, energetic and starkly-themed anger-anthems in local backyards, driveways, byways, garages, warehouses and stagedive spots for the past six months. And while their stay has been short, their message is loud and clear: fuck ICE, fuck the police state, and fuck you if you don’t agree.
Muelas’s sound is cohesive and heavy. The band’s most recent single, “MELT,” sounds straight out of the mid-00s, blending punk, hardcore, and emotional post-hardcore into a fully realized rebellious concoction of sound. It takes its time to ensure all five band members are packing whole-hog haymakers vs. smaller jabs; there are waves the size of Mack trucks that crash again and again, bringing hard-hitting rhythms, raw emotion, and riffs that could cause an earthquake. Faster hardcore feels like death by a thousand cuts, but Muelas’s blend of is more akin to a sledge hammer. Mid-tempo punk rock rhythms hit you in the gut. Ever-changing breakdowns hit you with the uppercut. Alternating guitar melodies—is that whammy bar solo I hear in the backround? Feedback amid violin?—are there more for momentary respite while the rest of the band gets ready to continue the barrage. While being pummeled into submission, vocalist Susy Reyes’s voice screams from the wreckage as if to say, “Are you listening now, mother fucker?”
The unity seen between Reyes and the rest of the band – guitarists Kaemon Maggard,
James Cramer, bassist Chris King and drummer Musashi Albert – aligns with their ethos of “creating space for catharsis and community through grief, trauma, and joy as resistance.” That underlining emotion can be found through an almost-eerie violin, operatic clean singing and crisp (almost twinkly) guitar solos showcased in the track “Pesares”. This quintet wears it heart on its sleeve, and with a purpose. Meaning behind music – what a concept!
This approach reminds me of mid-00s stalwarts Modern Life is War, Verse, This is Hell or even Have Heart, where appeals to emotion are underlined by emphatic swells and crashes of anger. You won’t just be caught in the feels—you’ll be punched in the gut by them.
Let me be clear—those bands’ gripes seem pale (literally and figuratively) in comparison to the modern dystopia we share with Muelas. Reyes’s perspective as a lyricist is resonant and impactful because of how genuine it is. Her appeals—along with the rest of Muelas’s rage-as-reaction—are all too relevant. Too obvious for comfort, really. It’s time we all take a moment to listen, reflect and come together—and while we’re at it, throw a balled-up fist of rage toward a local fascist.
¡Chinga la migra, y viva Muelas!
You can catch MUELAS on January 31 at Boggs Social & Supply with Atlanta heavy hitters Palaces and Leafblower. Buy tickets here!