“PRISM” By UltraViolent: A Special Song That Was Worth Waiting For

Written by: Annie Schlottman Photo credit: Brendan McGlathery/Preta Path Productions

It only takes one song.  One video.  One post or interaction on social media.  It can be any one or a combination of the above for a band to gain a new fan.  That’s what happened recently for me and the Pennsylvania metal band UltraViolent.  They’ve been on my radar for the past couple years, but admittedly, I didn’t know much about them.  That has changed, and I’m really happy to now be connected with this awesome group of musicians.

When I saw a recent post about UltraViolent’s new Discord community, which was also a promotion of an upcoming new song called “PRISM” and the accompanying video (both of which came out January 9th), I figured I might as well check it out.  I may be new to the party, but any support is helpful, right? As usual, I was a little nervous when I first joined the group, because I really only knew one band member from Facebook. But right away I sensed an excitement and energy surrounding the new song and video, and I was drawn into the vibe.

I’ll discuss “PRISM” later in this piece.  First, I want to give some background on the band.  UltraViolent is based in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania.  Band members include: Brett Anspach (vocals); Avery LeVan (bass/vocals); Danny Koury (guitar); Bryce Delp (guitar); and Kevin Abt (drums). When “PRISM” came out I decided on a whim that I wanted to write about the band and the new song and video, and Brett kindly answered my interview questions quickly.

Brett Anspach

Avery and Brett have been playing in a band since they were 12 years old. When they turned 14, they decided to make their own music, and that’s when they started going by the band name UltraViolent. Danny has been with the band for about seven years.  Bryce and Kevin joined a little before the band released their 2024 EP, AFTERMATH.

Brett recalls that his dad actually came up with the band’s name, UltraViolent.  As stated before, he and Avery were only 14 at the time, and they thought it was edgy and cool.  Their town came to know them by that name, so it stuck.

Avery LeVan

As someone who owns and runs a studio, Anspach Productions, Brett is typically the one writing most, if not all, of the music and lyrics for UltraViolent.  Then he’ll hand it off to his bandmates to get their thoughts on it.  Sometimes they’ll have notes, but most times they’ll think it’s sick and they just move forward with the track.

Danny will occasionally bring a demo to the table that inspires ideas and they’ll bounce riffs back and forth in the room when he’s around.  But with the members each having their own separate lives, Brett said it’s just way easier for him to present music to the guys and have them be cool with it. He shared, “It’s an interesting dynamic, but one I am thankful for.  I have the easiest group of people to work with.”

Danny Koury

Brett told me that he almost always writes the music before the lyrics.  He thinks there’s only been one instance when he’s written a song “backwards”, and that song hasn’t been released yet.

Brett handles all the production, mixing, and mastering.  That being said, of course the other band members always have the freedom to give him feedback on the mix.  There usually isn’t much that needs to be tweaked, considering this is their own band’s music and Brett knows the sound they’re going for.

“PRISM” is the first new music released by UltraViolent since their four-song EP “AFTERMATH” in June of 2024. Prior to that year, the band had taken a hiatus from releasing music after 2019. There were a lot of reasons for that, including the pandemic and changes in the band’s lineup.  Coming back together in 2024 to release music again showed a grit and determination to not give up on their art.  UltraViolent is back, and it looks like the best is yet to come.

When “PRISM” came out, Brett shared on social media that he actually wrote the song six years ago.  I asked him why it took so long to release it, and he shared his thoughts on it.

“We learned a valuable lesson back in 2019 to not announce something before it's finished. We wanted to have more songs under our belt to have the ability to follow up a release, rather than dropping a song and  going quiet again. We also used to be super perfectionists about everything.”

Brett continued, “Avery was at college, and Danny had moved to Phoenix for a bit of time. We had to remove some members, we were on the hunt for new ones, and essentially just finding ourselves as a band again. Discussions about me becoming the frontman were starting to take place -- I used to be the guitarist and the vocalist when playing live. So really we are just dropping a few songs from that era so we can mentally feel like we've moved past that time and can focus on new things.”

I know I definitely don’t just speak for myself when I say that whatever transpired that led to UltraViolent finally releasing “PRISM”, I’m so happy they did.  It’s a tremendous song. The guitar riffs, including the solo in the bridge, thunderous drums, Brett’s powerful hard vocals and Avery’s incredible singing all combine to make this a track a total rager.  I know it's early in the year, but I have a feeling this song will be on my list of favorites for 2026.

Bryce Delp

In the UltraViolent Discord server, which is open to any fans who want to join and support the band, Brett gave us his thoughts on the meaning of “PRISM”.

“The song is about how the same situation can have multiple perspectives depending on the way you view it, who you ask, etc.  It’s similar to how an actual prism would skew your perspective depending on your approach.”

Avery LeVan also shared what “PRISM” means to him.

“For me, the song is also about failing to appreciate what’s in front of you until it’s too late. More specifically, having important things to say to someone in your life who is now out of reach forever, for whatever reason. So for me the song is about regret.”

Kevin Abt

I asked Brett about where the inspiration comes from in general for UltraViolent’s songs. He told me that in most cases, things that are happening in the world tend to drive their lyrical content.

“We’ve always been a political band,” Brett said.  “Growing up, it used to be a ‘fuck everything’ mindset, naturally, but now I believe we have a much clearer vision of what we like and don’t like about the world around us.  Most of the music coming out in 2026 shares that sentiment without fear.”

There have also been UltraViolent songs about personal struggles, whether they’re about things Brett has gone through or about other people.  “DREADKNIGHT”, “DROUGHT”, and “PRISM” are examples of these.

The music video for “PRISM”, which was done by Eric DiCarlo of SquareUp Studios, is stunning and reflects the theme of the song perfectly.  Brett told me the band had the idea of creating a trippy mirror room with lights and prism effects, and Eric put together the layout of the room. 

The whole setup of the video definitely provides the aesthetic they were going for, with the flashing lights, mirrors, and purple and blue neon.  The video also has an intense energy, and the close-up camera-work makes you feel like you’re actually right there in the room with the band as they're playing the song.

Last March, UltraViolent had the honor of performing “White Washed” by  August Burns Red during their induction into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame.  Brett said getting to perform an all-time metalcore classic in front of the band who wrote it as well as hundreds of attendees was a mind-blowing experience for all of the guys. In addition to that amazing experience at the Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, that same night UltraViolent was named the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Metal Band Of The Year.

As one of the first people to join the new UltraViolent Discord server, I am seeing a lot of excitement about the release of “PRISM” amongst the band members and fans.  I have a feeling there’s a lot more to look forward to from this band in the near future. At least, I hope so, because I’m definitely here for all of it!  As Brett said, “This will be the most prolific year UltraViolent has ever had so far. I will leave you with that.”

The band would love for people to join the Discord and interact with them and other fans and support the band’s journey. The link is https://discord.gg/h8Jv7QBc.  You can follow UltraViolent on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Linktree. Make sure to stream "PRISM" on whatever platform you use to listen to music and check out the music video on YouTube.