Premiere: Wrong Worshippers Boldly Level Up On New Album, Get Skooled
Richmond’s music scene has thrived for decades thanks to a steady influx of young talent, new generations that cut their teeth before the last has finished even making its mark. Fueled by a rich DIY culture and a constant stream of creatively driven students from VCU, the city remains a magnet for artists who often stick around, contributing to a growing and ever-evolving cultural landscape.
Right now, Richmond is in the midst of an exhilarating wave of young bands: a rich mix of fun newcomers, steady fixtures, and rising headliners, all of whom are ready to be called the true vanguard instead of the next big thing. They’re emerging from every corner of the scene: hip-hop, country, pop, rock, electronica, jazz, and, true to Richmond tradition, punk and metal. It’s in those last two spaces where Wrong Worshippers make their presence felt–a drum-and-bass duo that’s been grinding for years, long enough that calling them part of a “youth movement” feels almost reductive. While their peers were still shaping their sound, Wrong Worshippers were already recording their debut album. While others were finding collaborators, they were playing regular gigs across the city. While many were still piecing the concept of performing and recording, they were charging full speed ahead, setting the stage for their next set of releases.
With the release of their second album, Get Skooled, Wrong Worshippers seem to have outpaced their generation, building on the head start they earned years ago and using it to push their music further than ever before. Their sound now reaches into different corners of Richmond’s scene, from regular appearances at Porchella to spots on celebrated compilations, and even sharing bills with unfamiliar acts eager to draw energy from their invigorating spirit. Set to drop Wednesday, July 9, this record places Wrong Worshippers in a rare position where youthful energy and hard-earned experience fuel a bold evolution, inviting listeners to jump in early rather than play catch-up later. Bassist Nick Walker and drummer Milo McAdams have crafted a true work of art here, rooted in years of lived experience and shaped by relentless youthful conviction, a testament that their age isn’t a limitation but a vibrant driving force. Today, The Auricular is honored to premiere Get Skooled with an exclusive stream below, alongside deeper insights into the album’s creation and lasting impact.
Get Skooled is the follow-up to Wrong Worshippers’ 2021 debut album, Negative Irrational Obsessions, a ferocious blend of metal, punk, and raw underground energy that the band wrote, recorded, and released in just a year. That whirlwind process helped kickstart their rise within Richmond–a long-standing haven for lovers of heavy distortion–but it also fostered a touch of hubris. “We naturally assumed that we could produce a follow-up record in the same amount of time,” bassist Nick Walker admitted, just shy of the debut’s four-year anniversary.
That debut came when the band was still in their early teens, developing as musicians and as people. Rather than rush a sequel and risk repeating themselves, they took their time: dropping an irreverent live record, an incendiary single, and even a Bandcamp-only demo set along the way. Still, their sights remained fixed on something more lasting. “The album we wanted to make could not be made in a year,” said Walker. “Regardless of the objective quality of this release, I firmly believe Get Skooled is about seven to ten times better than whatever album we could’ve made in a single year.”
Get Skooled marks a clear evolution for Wrong Worshippers, delivering the kind of growth fans of Negative Irrational Obsessions might anticipate, while still managing to catch them off guard. It’s a mix of fresh shock and familiar weight, a record any devoted fan would hope for from their favorite act. Album opener and lead single “Experimental Jazz” captures the high-octane blast of gritty defiance that’s always been the soul of Wrong Worshippers. At the same time, “Triple Entendre” showcases their playful spirit that’s endeared them to so many through the noise. But beyond these familiar points, the band begins to stretch out and settle into new sonic territory.
Venomous. Vicious. Virulent. These are words long associated with Wrong Worshippers’ sound. But now, they’ve added another: Infectious. Not to be taken in the viral sense. “That we’re sonic platonics\ Fresh out the friend zone\ Sonic platonics\ Never be alone,” Walker belts out in a glam-tinged hook on “Sonic Platonics,” delivered with melodic swagger and bite akin to gritty glam rock icons. “Brother” follows suit with a similar earworm appeal, but leans into a more classic punk edge, packing lines like “But it’s unnatural to live another way, to live without honor” with bold conviction.
Those hooks will definitely raise a few eyebrows, while the album’s most unexpected moments come in its slower, more introspective turns, shocking to anyone familiar with the band’s chaotic live energy. “Get Me Outta Here” from Negative Irrational Obsessions attempted something similar, with a strumming plea and playful xylophones undercutting the record’s searing tone. On Get Skooled, however, the band’s able to do the same thing while still keeping it tethered tightly to its core raucous sound. “Sleep” is perhaps the closest departure in this sense, riding a pulsing bass line that builds tension before bursting at its climax. Lyrically, it’s raw and revealing, with lines like “Bravery was never my best” and “I’m lost to self-loathing” landing with heavy impact.
Moving further from the band’s defined sound, though, is “october 2020,” a track that drifts into slow-grunge territory: moody, reflective, and emotionally unguarded. While Wrong Worshippers have always flirted with such sentiment, here it becomes the engine, not the accent. Echoing vocals haunt the space between lines like “Coals die, tears roll\ As we grow old\ Good friends are rare\ I’ve found my share,” offering a tender elegy for connection forged in isolation. It’s a surprising moment of stillness, and proof that the band’s evolution isn’t just stylistic, but deeply felt.
“Taking place over our last years in high school, this work represents moments of truth, transformation, and classic Wrong Worshippers humor,” Walker said. “In my mind, this record marks the end of an old era, and the start of a new one. I guess you could say we “‘got schooled.'” That progression is most tangible in tracks like “october 2020,” but it runs just as deep in the record’s heavier moments, with emotional clarity hitting just as hard as the riffs.
“Chemicals” opens with a distorted Jaws-like ostinato that quickly unspools into a chaotic storm of darting slashes and pounding rhythms. It’s a musical frenzy that sets the stage rather than steals it. After the initial sonic assault comes a nuanced narrative, revealing how much Wrong Worshippers’ vision has matured since Negative Irrational Obsessions. It’s not just louder and bolder–it’s more focused, deliberate, and refined.
Even the band’s lyrical ire has sharpened. “Rats From Above” channels the same visceral fury as their 2023 single “Not Your Pawns,” but with an even more sly political edge, showcasing a radicalized ethos forged in a world where divisions deepen and wholesale slaughter escalates unchecked. This sense of lived activism pulses throughout the record, whether it’s the central focus as in “Rats From Above”, a vivid metaphor embedded in a parallel narrative (“When a burning earth screams death, let’s make a world to strive for,” from “Chemicals”), or a more profound meaning tucked into personal reflection (“False words such as these convince us that we can’t be wrong,” from “Brother”).
What’s most striking is how recognizable all this growth feels–it’s evolution, not reinvention. Like anyone in youth, the duo find themselves drawn to new interests and projects, most publicly with drummer Milo McAdams exploring electronic dance sub-genres jungle and, fittingly, drum’n’bass under the moniker Dials. You can hear traces of that in the chaotic, tongue-in-cheek outro “(bomb threat),” but rather than feel out of place, it slots right into the band’s DNA, mirroring the playful unpredictability of Negative Irrational Obsessions‘s own closer, “Scrt Msg 4 Fut.” It’s growth with a throughline. Expansive, but unmistakably Wrong Worshippers.
Even at their age, Wrong Worshippers understand the relentless demands of the album cycle. One strong release and now everyone wants to know what’s next, pressure that clearly fueled the band’s initial expectation. But Get Skooled strikes a balance, offering plenty to dig into while the band continues refining their sound. Each live show becomes an essential experience because of this, almost compelling fans to blast the new album on the way home from venues, tracing how the duo pushes their music forward in the days, weeks, and months after. Whether it’s years before the next record or sooner, Get Skooled proves the wait will be more than worth it.
Get Skooled is set for release on Wednesday, July 9th, and you can pre-save it now by clicking here. On Friday, July 11, Wrong Worshippers are commermeting this new record with a special release show at Richmond Music Hall alongside Velvet Ruin and CPS (for ticket information, click here). In the meantime, make sure to follow the duo on social media so you can stay connected on their future updates and releases.
