This week we dive back into the marvelous world of ‘Loki’ (Tom Hiddleston) with its second season. At the end of season one his variant from another timeline, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), kicked him through a time door after killing the one man who kept the Marvel Universe we know from merging with other universes. Unleashing countless versions of the new MCU big bad Kang (Jonathan Majors) to start a multiversal war and leaving the God of Mischief in a presumably new timeline. One where his old friend Mobius (Owen Wilson) and the Time Variance Authority (aka the TVA) have no idea who he is. Multiversal threats, love, betrayal, and friendship all blend together with one central theme: being lost in time.
To celebrate the return of ‘Loki,’ we’ve highlighted a few bands who were once on top of the world but have seemingly become a nostalgic memory, left sitting like sand on the bottom of an hourglass, lost in the depths of our iPod nanos. Bands that toured with juggernauts of the genre even headlined over a lot of them at the time. Once featured on MTV, AOL Sessions, and Fuse, premiere places to find new music before the boom of streaming. Only to simply vanish into thin air. Until that hourglass is turned over, turning the past into the present, hoping to capture the same spark they had years ago.
Acceptance
Acceptance was a pop-punk band hailing from Seattle, WA that formed in 1998. Undoubtedly most known for their debut record Phantoms, released in 2005, featuring emo anthems like “Different” and “So Contagious.” After touring with the likes of Hellogoodbye, The Academy Is…, Panic! At The Disco, Yellowcard, Paramore, and countless others, the group disbanded in 2006 after vocalist Jason Vena wanted to settle down and live a more normal life.
In 2015, Acceptance found new life. The band reunited at Skate & Surf 2015 in Asbury Park, NJ, and also released their first new music since 2006, a single, “Take You Away.” This led to the releases of two more full-lengths, Colliding by Design via Rise Records in 2017, followed by Wild, Free via Tooth & Nail Records in 2020. Even though the band was releasing music constantly they have only played a handful of shows since reforming. The latest one was over a year ago, when they performed their first album, Phantoms, in full. Bringing them to that limbo of being lost in time once again. Will we see anything from Acceptance going forward? Only time will tell.
The Receiving End Of Sirens
Massachusetts’ The Receiving End Of Sirens falls in line with bands such as Saosin, Circa Survive, and Royal Coda. They initially broke through the static in 2005 with their debut full-length Between the Heart and the Synapse. This record led to tours with Thirty Seconds To Mars, Saves The Day, Senses Fail, Thrice, and more. In 2007, the band released their sophomore record, The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi. However, they ultimately disband in 2008 after bassist/vocalist Brendan Brown announced he was leaving the band to focus on his newborn child. The band had a brief reunion, playing some select New England dates in 2009, and teased new music coming in 2010, but to no avail. There was even a canceled reunion tour set for 2020 but with festivals like When We Were Young, So What!? Festival, and Furnace Fest never say never.
Lower Definition
From the West Coast, Lower Definition climbed the ranks of the San Diego DIY scene playing all-ages shows harnessing a sound similar to bands like Glassjaw, Chiodos, and Hopesfall. The band also consisted of the current drummer of Of Mice & Men, Valentino Arteaga. A demo of their song “Higher Than Kites” featuring Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil helped catapult the band into the limelight and win a slot on the Taste Of Chaos Tour that was held by Myspace in 2006.
Shortly after, the band released their debut album, Moths, in 2007. They quickly followed with 2008’s The Greatest of All Lost Arts on the legendary Ferret Records. The post-hardcore band shared the road with Gwen Stacy, A Static Lullaby, Jamie’s Elsewhere, and more until the band faded away in 2011. Fast forward to 2018, the group reunited in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of The Greatest of All Lost Arts. They even released new singles, “Grief Eater” and “Talk About It” in 2021, and “Close The Door” and “F.G.R.B.” in 2022.
Terminal
From Mansfield, TX, Terminal has one record under their belt in their seven year run as a band, How the Lonely Keep. The record hit No. 39 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart in 2005. Additionally, it earned them tours with Anberlin, The Spill Canvas, Rufio, Saosin, Cartel, and more. After major lineup changes, Terminal split up in January 2006. Members went on to join Oh, Sleeper and As Cities Burn, while vocalist Travis Bryant formed Alive In Wild Paint, basically a more indie version of Terminal. That was until 2018 when the band was resurrected through tragedy when bass player Lucas Starr was diagnosed with cancer. Starr unfortunately passed away that same year. Terminal honored his legacy by playing Furnace Fest and performing their only record in full in Dallas in 2021.
Time is a funny thing. Everything can change at the flip of a switch. Journeys can end in a second, but that can never take away the moments created during those adventures. That’s the beauty of pop culture. It’s immortalized in time forever, making us time travelers every single day. We can thank Loki for this musical-inspired journey back in time.
‘Loki’ Season 2 premieres on October 5th on Disney+.
