"Eclectic, heavy-but-melodic... sometimes recalls Torche, as well as similar doom leaning acts as Helms Alee and Big Business." -- Treble
"Both raw and hypnotic, and takes in a myriad of punk, screamo, post-hardcore, sludge, doom and psych influences to create an impressive noise." -- Echoes & Dust
"Explores love, loss and catharsis through punk, sludge, and psych-infused energy." -- Metal Injection
“Features plenty of melancholy and the kind of quiet-loud interplay that Baroness did so well circa Yellow & Green… These guys kick up a helluva thick sound and find an impressive balance between soothing and crushing.” — Decibel Magazine
Portland, OR trio Belonging release their split LP The Dog with hometown compatriots Inny today. Hear and share The Dog split album via Bandcamp HERE and DSPs HERE.
The video for "The Dog" premiered earlier via Decibel Magazine HERE. It is now available to watch/share on YouTube HERE. Metal Injection recently hosted new single "Hellkite" HERE.
Belonging formed out of the tight-knit DIY scenes of the Upper Midwest, later converging with the heavier and more experimental currents of the Pacific Northwest. The result is a massive, emotionally complex sound, blending the raw urgency of punk and screamo with the heavy, hypnotic energy of sludge, psych, and grunge.
Bryce August, vocalist/guitarist of Belonging on “The Dog”:
“Bukowski called love A Dog From Hell. Yeats wrote that the mythic Irish hero Cú Chulainn, or the Hound of Ulster, “fought with the invulnerable tide.” All three of the songs on this split were written around what happens when all-consuming emotion - passion, obsession, despair - runs into something protean, elemental and immovable like the sea. “The Dog” in particular is about love, loss and how we go on living, keeping our promises to the dead.”
Belonging
Belonging’s side of The Dog finds the band honing their dynamic control and emotional volatility into a tightly interlocked suite of songs. The tracks move with heavy momentum—each one digging deeper into themes of disconnection and restraint, then flaring up into moments of cathartic release. But for all the tension and texture, these songs stick—melodies and phrases linger, and the verses and choruses feel built to shout along with. It’s the sound of something fraying at the edges, still pulsing with clarity and conviction—unsettling, resonant, and deeply human.
Inny
On the flip side, Inny is a different animal altogether. Their three tracks snap, coil, and jab with tightly wound precision—built on sharp guitar interplay, shifting rhythms, and vocals that swing from barked commands to flat-eyed defiance. The songs feel forged in basement heat: lean, urgent, and charged with confrontation. Where Belonging creates tension through space and emotional gravity, Inny builds it through friction and speed, turning every riff into a pressure point. It’s bracing, wired music that bites first and doesn’t ask questions.
The Dog split is available on 12" LP and download via Dipterid Records on February 6th, 2026. Orders are available HERE.
BELONGING - LIVE 2026:
02/19 - Portland, OR - Alleyway Cafe & Bar
02/20 - Seattle, WA - The Kraken Bar & Lounge
02/21 - Bellingham, WA - The Shakedown
02/22 - Tacoma, WA - Slice of Life
Artist: Belonging / Inny
Album: The Dog
Label: Dipterid Records
Release Date: February 6, 2026
01. Belonging - Hellkite
02. Belonging - The Dog
03. Belonging - Dead Reckoning
04. Inny - The Dog
05. Inny - Vessel
06. Inny - Morsel
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