Heave Blood & Die : "Burnout Codes"

When it comes to punk, there are not many bands doing something new. The genre largely follows the dictates of a dozen bands from the late 70s / early 80s and follows that blueprint. Odd for a genre that values non-conformity. Norway's Heave Blood and Die, brings synths to the party to divert their course away from the punk rock rule book. The attitiude is still there, but it's tempered by droning grooves. Originally released in 2024 on a Scandinavian label, they are being unleashed upon the rest of the world by Ardous.

The only traditonal punk influence that breaks the surface is Black Flag, who were, in their own right, more experimental than people give them credit for. The vocals create a similar burly blustering as the lyrics are bellowed with biligerence. You do not hear their post-punk side until the more sardonic tension of "Stress City". It becomes apparent that these guys are also fans of Killing Joke, which is fine by me. 

"Mjelle" is a little darker. The bass line keeps the song in motion. Female vocals are more noticeably layered over the verses to "Things That Hurt." "Heatwave 3000" finds them back in a more apocalyptic Killing Joke mode. The synths hold an interesting place in this arrangement. The vocals are also more aggressive. "Seen It All" ends things with a gloomier march and more emotive vocals.  I will give this one a 9.5, great songwriting, though a similar mood to some of the songs. This is a must for fans of modern post-punk. 

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ADULT : "Kissing Luck Goodbye"

 

The synths of Detroit's ADULT have now been moving dance floors for 25 years. More aggressive than darkwave, Nicola Kuperus' vocals are certainly influenced by it. There is more anger in the stomping of the title track. If this music were being made with guitars, it would be post-punk. Though they lean heavier into the electronics for " R U 4 SALE", where they take complete control of the dance floor with buzzing synths grooving chaotically, but even the lyrics admit that "the chaos is what they want".

The lyrics on this album present hard truths that are in your face on "No One is Coming". I appreciate the dystopian nature of this. They are also fully prepared to use their synths in just as abrasive a manner as any punk band uses its guitars. "No Song" is more experimental as it bathes in the electro shower of sound rather than riding the beat. The vocal apporach is more abstract here.  "Freaks" feels more like a Revolting Cocks song. But this still works. The vocals are less focused on "None of It's Fun," which feels like she just went into the vocal booth and did whatever struck her.

"Human(e ) Volume" is another more experimental track that finds the chant of the vocals to be the centerpiece rather than the groove. "So Unpleasant" also takes a detour in a bunch of zany sounds, creating the backdrop for her declarations. "Destroyers" has a more industrial feel in how the song moves. Her vocal delivery is also more aggressive to complement this. I will round this up to a 9, as the more experimental moments are efective it just depends on if that is what you are signing up for. It took me by surprise so this is going to be on the more experimental side of synth punk. 

 

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MSPAINT : "Post- American"

 

This band from Mississippi claims to be synth punk and breaking new ground. Perhaps they are. However, the rapped vocals placed them closer to nu metal. The odd novelty of what is going on catches my attention on the first song. This wears off by the second song. The drums are energetic, the synths occupy the space guitars would be if this was POD or Limp Bizkit. They are not going for the same frat boy style of grooves those bands had in the 90s.  The angular touch of the synths strays further from the nu metal sound, the vocals are more shouted than rapped. At least on the first verse. 

"Hardwired" is more aggressive and the chanted chorus is almost catchy. This works better than the more confusing collision of sounds that is "Delete It", things continue down a spiral from there as it heads in more of a Death Grips direction for "S3". The frantic punk of "Decapitated Reality " feels like they are trying too hard.  When things slow down it works better for them. At time there is an industrial feel to the unwieldly synth riffs against the drums. The title track has a little more melody to him to yell over.  "Free From the Sun" reminds me of pre-Patton Faith no More, thought they were more melodic than what is going down here. 

The best lyrics might be on "Titan of Hope" that finds a more hip-hop cadence delivering the lyrics. He is rapping like a new age self-help speaker. Especially when he talks about everything being connected.  There are more aggressive moments like when he commands you to let your mind out the gate. The last song finds the music getting more abrasive, which feels more along the lines of Death Grips, the lyrics are even ranted in a similar manic fashion. I will give this album an 8 it might hold similarities to other artists sonically, but the overall picture is the band doing their thing, and I think they are making the music they set out to accomplish, so while it might not be my thing, they are doing a good job for their intended audience I will give it an 8. 

VR SEX : "Rough Dimension"

 Opener of the new album strikes me as being darker. The vocals carry more disdain in the narrative. There is a straightforward punk feel to the second song "Glutton for Love".  It is however colored by new wave synths. The vocals remained buried under the layers of sound. There is more melodic guitar to "Live (in a dream)" that gives a dynamic sidestep from the punk formula that sounded in place for the first two songs.  Where his other band Drab Majesty has a bigger sound that throws it back more to the 80s, things are more compressed and sonically tense. For 'Walk of Fame" that get closer to where Drab Majesty comes from. It is even more impressive when things take on a denser fuzz. It almost sounds like a different song. Not the smoothest transition but balanced out for the overall sound. 

"Crisis Stage" kind of splits the difference between the two moods we have heard from this album. The vocals are lower and bleaks though we are Knight riding over the synth groove. The guitar flirts with the edges of the song. It is pretty much all hinging on the bass line, which is not uncommon for post-punk. The vocal hook is pretty cool. When things end up reverting back to a more punk place it does not feel as well written on "Taste of Hate".  The multi tracked vocals work for what they are doing and have a better place in the mix. 

The mood to "Snake Water" does get darker and angrier, but it also focuses more on the sounds being captured rather than where the song needs to go in order to have more dimension. The album is about the seedy under belly of LA, which no one should be surprised about. The tempo for the last song picks. The production is a little murkier. It falls back into the direction this album began on. I will give this album an 8.5, perhaps it will grow on me and I will rethink it then, but it does not feel as inspired as the first album.