Turnstile – Never Enough

Turnstile’s pedigree is in the hardcore punk scene; however, they have evolved into a pop-metal band in the grand tradition of Def Leppard and Van Halen and pop punk like Blink 182 and Green Day. For example, the teaser single “Never Enough” is a lethal combination of Pat Metheny’s pop-jazz and Smashing Pumpkins.

I became aware of Turnstile from their last album, Glow On (2021), which introduced them to a wider audience. Never Enough is not an artistic departure from Glow On but is even more accessible. It is not a sellout, but a continued pop rock evolution from Glow On.

When I listen to Turnstile, I hear The Police, Blink-182, Black Sabbath, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, etc. It is on the punk side of the rock spectrum, but with a healthy dose of pop and melody, it creates pleasing earworms.

I think what happens with bands like Turnstile is what happens to many great bands (for example, The Who and The Replacements): They start out with great ideas and limited skills; over time, their skills match their ideas. Turnstile has been a fun band to watch progress, and Never Enough is an example of that progress.