By Jonathan Sackett

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:: “Isn’t it nice to know there’s a station in Richmond that plays easy favorites 24 hours a day?”  

:: Nov. 27, 2024

:: RVA hardcore band, Wasted Space, released its second EP on Tuesday, Nov 26th.

Clocking in at 10 minutes and four seconds, Running on Empty is a quick shot of hardcore straight into your eardrums. Riffs are quick, and the bass fills are quicker. This project shows you what Wasted Space is capable of playing without wasting any space. 

Standout tracks include: “Clear to Me” and “Thirst for Life.”

I’ve enjoyed Running on Empty much more than the band’s self-titled EP which came out a year prior. The mix is more engaging, with panned guitars on some tracks and a funny (if not cliché) sample in the track “Clear to Life.” 

Running on Empty—and Wasted Space generally—have an almost classical hardcore sound about them. This project feels straight out of the ‘80s and it’s got that east coast sound. It’s Richmond hardcore tried and true. And fuck, that’s the shit I like. 

This newest outing has proved to be quite the earworm and has been stuck in my head since I first listened to it. The riffs have the melodicism of early hardcore groups. 

Wasted Space will be playing at The Camel this Friday at 9 p.m. If you are in Richmond on Nov. 29th, get your ass over there. If you don’t go, at least give the damn EP a listen. It’ll make for a better 10 minutes than whatever the hell else you were planning on doing.

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