The miserable, hideous state of any government would seem to be inversely proportionate to the number of hi-octane, furious rabble-rousing musicians it seems to produce. Of course, it’s not an exact science; anyone with even the slightest awareness of the music scene (punk/post punk in particular) would know that there has been a thriving underground movement with significant support for the last few years at least. But still, the state of the world is ripe with subject matter and Austerity are making the most of it.
Anarcho Punk Dance Party is the Brighton-based post-punkers debut album, having released a demo back in 2015, the elaborately named Humanity Will Only Be Happy The Day The Last Bureaucrat Is Hanged By The Guts Of The Last Capitalist, followed by three singles which were all well received. It’s a vicious, scathing observation of the world’s problems with an understandable focus on the UK at the moment.
They set their stall out for the content of the whole album with a spoken word, feedback and noise laden rallying cry against the rise of the far right and capitalism in the shape of ‘Aaaaaaaaarrrrrghhh’, declaring “A monster is looming over us!”. Songs such as ‘We’re Not Evolved’, dealing with a lack of critical thinking, ‘Nice Guy’ (toxic masculinity) and ‘Herded ’(brain dead commuters as worker bees) jolt along on a wave of jagged yowling guitars, driving, pulsating basslines and chaotic drumming that seems to struggle to find its timing, but doesn’t at the same time.
Shades of NoMeansNo, Dead Kennedys, Minutemen run through the album, with Austerity’s own songs being delivered with the same fury and venom as that of their peers. In these times of turmoil, you’d be well advised to get a copy of this and join in the revolution.
Anarcho Punk Dance Party is released on November 1st.
Words: Scott Crawford
