As far as I can tell, no other kind of music, modern or classic, is as consistently screaming about big issues like global warming, potential nuclear warfare, and general societal-induced anxiety than punk music. Bands like CRASS, NAUSEA, and DISCHARGE paved the way for modern punk bands to be real about current issues and sound good doing it, making music that’s equally as loud sonically as it is ideologically. It’s why I love and obsess over this music and these bands so much; what could be better than righteous lyrics paired with catchy riffs and fast as fuck drums?
If any of that sounds up your alley, check out POLLUTE, a new band from Durham, North Carolina carrying on in the tradition of socially conscientious raw punk. Similar in sound to bands like TRAGEDY and WOLFBRIGADE, POLLUTE tear it up on their new self-titled EP. Opening track “Nite” gives a good overview of the proceedings with galloping d-beat drums accompanied by feedback-laden guitars and guttural vocals. “Cries Of The Future” has the EP’s catchiest riff and a strong MOTÖRHEAD vibe, while “Nuclear Cage” sounds like it would be right at home on DISFEAR’s “Live The Storm”. Closer “Flick Of The Switch” switches things up with a lumbering intro before closing things out with a blistering mid-tempo stomp.
Placing them firmly near the top of my ones to watch list, POLLUTE’s EP is a solid starting point for the band, and I’m stoked to see what they’ll do next. Checkout their EP streaming now on Bandcamp and available soon on physical format via Atrocious Disarray. Also be sure to catch them on tour this summer in the Midwest and the Southern States.
