Is Brendan Yates the Voice of Rebellion for Gen Z?

Alright, let’s get one thing straight before the comment section turns into a dumpster fire: his name is Brendan Yates, not Brandon. Now that we’ve cleared up the paperwork, let’s talk about why I was wrong. In a past podcast I complained that Turnstile had jumped the shark with their latest release. Here is the truth, Turnstile is breaking new ground and your younger siblings—and honestly, half the people at your local skate park—are treating this guy like the second coming of hardcore royalty. I missed the movement, which makes me wrong as can be about Mr. Yates and Turnstile. 

If you’ve been living under a rock (and not the good kind), Turnstile has spent the last few years systematically dismantling the walls between hardcore punk, R&B, and indie pop. At the center of that beautiful, chaotic mess is Brendan Yates. But the question I have: is he actually the voice of rebellion for Gen Z, or just a really talented guy with a penchant for stage diving?

The Anti-Gatekeeper

Hardcore has always been notorious for its "tough guy" gatekeeping. You know the type—arms crossed in the back of the room, judging your shirt choice. Yates and Turnstile blew that up. Their 2021 masterpiece GLOW ON (and the more recent 2025 follow-up Never Enough) proved that you can have "piss and vinegar" without the toxic posturing.

For a generation that values inclusivity and emotional transparency, Yates is the perfect fit. He isn’t screaming about how tough he is; he’s screaming about human connection, isolation, and the pure, unadulterated joy of movement. That’s a rebellion in itself—rebelling against the idea that heavy music has to be miserable.

The "Birds" Factor:

When Hardcore Becomes a Hymn.

I can’t talk about this rebellion without mentioning the track that has every kid from Baltimore to Berlin losing their minds: "Birds."

If you want to see what modern rebellion looks like, watch a festival of thousands of people collectively stop moshing for a second just to point at the ceiling and scream along to the hook. It’s one of those rare moments where the chaos of the pit turns into something that feels almost spiritual. Yates has this uncanny ability to take a simple, repetitive line and turn it into a mantra. When he bellows:

“I was told that love and death go hand in hand

When you find, is when you understand

And you are free, free, free, free, free, free

No one left to be, be, be, be, be, be

Finally you're free, free, free, free, free, free

No one left to be, be, be, be, be, be

No one left to be (be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be, be)

Finally I can see it

These birds not meant to fly alone”

It’s not just lyrics—it’s a declaration. In a world that feels like it’s constantly on fire, screaming about the beauty of "awareness" is the ultimate "middle finger" to the gloom.

The Sound of the "Everything" Generation

Gen Z doesn't do "genres." They grew up with algorithms that serve up Slayer right next to Madball. Yates understands this better than anyone. One minute he’s channeling the raw energy of Bad Brains, and the next, there’s a synth groove that feels like a fever dream.

It’s as though Yates is the living proof that like a bottle of fine wine, the hardcore scene is actually getting more complex, not just louder.

Watch a full Turnstile set:

The Verdict

Is he the voice of rebellion? If rebellion means breaking the "rules" of what hardcore is allowed to be, then hell yes. He’s traded the traditional snarl for a sense of wonder, and he’s doing it with the band while keeping the riffs chuggy enough to make you want to hump your smart speaker.

Turnstile is the bridge. Yates is the architect. Whether you’re an old-school thrasher or a kid who just discovered what a "mosh pit" is on TikTok, you can't deny the energy or the voice that is moving the world to rebel in positive ways.