Towards the end of 2025, musician Lee Byatt collaborated with a couple of heroes from the punk underground to create Hike The Peak’s ‘Water’ EP, the third release in the band’s ‘Elements’ cycle. The songs featured the band’s now trademark melodic punk and skate punk riffs along with the expected thoughtful lyrical content. Although the results weren’t as immediately exciting as the earlier ‘Air’ EP, the material still gave fans enough to enjoy.
Applying the same formula as before, the ‘Earth’ EP teams Lee with a pair of underground punk vocalists to deliver some decent, high octane material, with a strong influence from late 90s skate and melodic punk classics.
‘Wasted, Hatred’ – the stronger of the numbers this time around – opens with a grubby guitar riff, before dropping into a barrage of drums, creating something that feels a little more aggressive than some of Hike The Peak’s past works. The more forthright approach is a perfect fit for guesting vocalist Murray (of cult Aussie punks Judo Chop!) who makes his entrance via a world of “whoahs” that would rival the likes of The Offspring, before exploring slightly gruffer tones to compliment riffs that often sound like Dead Neck meeting with Hateful Monday, but with a sharper edge. The speed driven verses are great – approaching somewhere near peak Peak, certainly – but this number really comes into its own when Byatt and friends drop into a slower breakdown, first sharing an unexpected twin lead guitar sound, then exploring a heavier tone that allows a dirty guitar to collide with a thunderous drum part. Overall, this is solid punk fare, and will certainly appeal to anyone who’s heard HTP before…and a good few folks who haven’t.
The use of harmony vocals on ‘Reach The Top’ (featuring members of Dutch punks Antillectual) immediately brings a more striking element to the second track on this release, but from a musical standpoint, things aren’t especially more commercial. Across a turbo charged three minutes, the guitars latch onto a rather jagged tone, whilst the rapid tempo is ideal for a killer drum part that’s pure skate punk fury. Scratch beneath the surface of this speed driven banger, though, and you’ll find the usual HTP hallmarks; the broader vocal allows for a lot of relative melody and a lyric tackling the themes of depression and how “you’re not alone” and of reaching for inner strength are pure Byatt, in the best possible way. The imagery of reaching the top and seeing others on the climb, making progress daily, creates a very positive – and relatable – theme. Falling somewhere between ‘Straight Ahead’ era Pennywise and early Rise Against fused with a pinch of Euro punk, this is a great track.
For fans of the melodic punk style, and particularly of bands with a Euro leaning, this will be a hit. There are many melodies and themes that create parallels with previous Hike The Peak recordings, but in this case, any familiarity or repetitious elements never feel in any way dull. The decision to deliver a quick punky hit via the single/EP format also adds to the directness this time around. Five years on from Hike The Peak’s inception, and despite working with collaborators from the world over, Lee Byatt and his project still feel as if they inhabit the “lesser known” corner of the punk universe, and that deserves to change. Check them out if you haven’t already; their work has plenty of heart, and ‘Earth’, in particular, gives the project one of its strongest releases.
July 2026
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