Isle of Wight Oi! street-punks Grade 2 have shared blistering new single Cut Throat, the latest taste of their as-yet unannounced fifth album.
Since they formed as teenagers, the trio’s modern take on classic Oi! music has steadily won hearts and minds in the UK and far beyond.
Prestigious support slots with the likes of The Interrupters, Dropkick Murphys, Social Distortion and Rancid have helped grow their profile, as have regular appearances at major festivals like Rebellion, where they played the main stage for the first time this year.
Their last two albums, 2019’s Graveyard Island (reviewed here) and 2023’s Grade 2 (reviewed here), have seen them working with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong.
Last month they released Hanging Onto You, the first song from their next record. Today they followed it with Cut Throat, a hard-edged anthem about perseverance in a world that never lets up.
Fuelled by fierce guitars and a pounding rhythm section, the track captures the sound of a band fighting to stay one step ahead while the world tries to drag them down.
“Cut Throat is about a world that takes more than it gives,” said Grade 2. “It’s a commentary on striving for more in situations where most people are out for themselves. It’s personal perseverance in a time that feels so empty and cold.”
The accompanying video strips everything back to black-and-white stills taken from the band’s live shows: sweat, motion, and flash-frozen defiance. It’s raw, unvarnished, and perfectly mirrors the spirit of the track.
Grade 2 are bassist and lead vocalist Sid Ryan, guitarist Jack Chatfield and drummer Jacob Hull.
They have announced a string of UK headline shows for March and April 2026, with tickets going on sale this Friday at 10am HERE.
