American alternative/grunge/post-hardcore band Fish Hook Smile stream new self-titled album; out now via Glory or Death Records!

St. Louis, Missouri based alternative/grunge/post-hardcore band Fish Hook Smile has just released their new self-titled album on September 5th, 2025 via Glory or Death Records.

Tracklist:
01. Flashback
02. Chapter 13
03. Shiver
04. Fields Of Green
05. Blue Mace
06. Humpty
07. Ratstar
08. Orchid

Courtesy of Glory or Death Records:

Fish Hook Smile: Noise, weight, and continuity in the American underground!

Formed in St. Louis in the early 1990s, Fish Hook Smile was one of those bands that emerged with urgency and disappeared before being properly documented. In just over a year of activity, the group carved out a sound that was heavy, noisy, and instinctive, blending the slow-burning grooves of grunge with the abrasive tension of noise rock.

Influenced by bands like Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, and Tad, Fish Hook Smile worked with drop tunings, saturated tones, and loose song structures. The gear may have been limited, but the conviction was clear. They didn’t sound like anyone around them, and they never intended to.

Fish Hook Smile was a St. Louis band that was originally formed in 1991 by vocalist Jason Busiek, Dan Policarpo (guitar) and Ken McCray (drums). In the Summer of 1991, Misha Avrushenko (bass), Matt Lake (guitar) and Bryan Pollard (drums) joined the band. Although he wasn’t originally in the band, Matt Pekny was at damn near every practice and show in the 90’s and was a natural fit for 2nd guitar. These songs were written by Jason Busiek, Matt Lake, Misha Avrushenko, Bryan Pollard, and Dan Policarpo. Although Dan is not on the recording, he was a major player in the formation, writing and the overall honing of this sound, and we are forever grateful for his contributions.

Three decades later, the original members reconnected and began revisiting old material with new tools, more experience, and the same restless energy. Split between California and Missouri, they slowly rebuilt the record in home studios, trading files over email, refining arrangements, and rediscovering a creative chemistry that had never really gone away.

This new chapter of Fish Hook Smile isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about continuity. They’re not trying to relive the ’90s, just finishing what was interrupted. The result is a raw, focused album with texture and density, shaped by basement shows and years of making music in different forms. No grand gestures, no retro posturing, just honest noise from people who still have something to say.

“This is the album we wanted to make in ‘91. Now we had the scars and the tools to do it right.”

Fish Hook Smile is:
Jason Busiek – Vocals, Production, Mixing
Matt Pekny – Guitar
Bryan Pollard – Drums
Misha Avrushenko – Bass
Matt Lake – Guitar

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well