Rating: 8/10
Nowadays a common misconception about “Post-Punk” is that it’s all dark and goth-adjacent, which reduces the genre’s artistic and experimental history of incorporating elements of Funk, Industrial, Pop and Krautrock to something that’s just dark and moody. Sure Gothic Rock derived from Post-Punk, but not all Post-Punk is Goth. Though that misconception can be frustrating for Post-Punk scholars, there are bands that still understand the assignment when it comes to continuing the artistic, intellectual and anti-commercial ethos of the beloved genre. Australian band “Station Model Violence” are one of those bands. Consisting of members of bands such as Total Control, Den, and R.M.F.C., “Station Model Violence” have crafted a fantastic debut album that harks back to 80’s Post-Punk, when the genre evolved into a more pop-oriented style often called “New Wave.” That’s right, this album is more Psychedelic Furs than Gang of Four. This album sounds like it came from a band who frequently performed at “The Batcave” in London in 1983. This album sounds like what “Zero Le Crêche” would’ve sounded like had they stayed together. Despite the band’s obvious Post-Punk influence, that influence doesn’t turn the music into a gimmick. These are tunes that also dive into psychedelia, Krautrock inspired 4/4 drum rhythms, and dark but soothing walls of sound topped with smooth as Hell saxophone. The pulsating rhythms will put you in a trance, which leads to a hypnotizing experience. Sure the band acknowledges the Post-Punk and Goth forefathers, (“Cliffs” is a dead ringer for Bauhaus’ “King Volcano”) but this is a solid album that’s entirely their own, and I feel like they’ll somehow top this record in the future.
Written By: Steven Sandoval
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