DIVE INTO RUIN - Smithereens
Is This Punk?
Written by: Rod Whitfield - Independent
This Melbourne band has been around for quite some time, remaining difficult to pin down for the length of their career so far. And this new EP is very much a case in point. If you dig a little deeper than the surface, you’ll find a band with broad horizons creating excellent, varied work.
EP Review
The overarching aesthetic could be construed as being a punk kinda thing, but are they truly a punk band? A punk aficionado would probably say no, and I would tend to agree with them. Key track Cage Raised certainly has punk grit, spit, anger and momentum, but then opener Moronic Fatigue gives off a sludgy stoner vibe, and the band even bring in some odd-time signatures on As If and Smithereens, as the EP heads in a far more alternative direction (prog-punk? Does such a category even exist? Can such a category even exist?). The latter even features warped/effected vocals that put one in mind of Gary Numan or THE BUGGLES or other such early 80s pop act, while the music continues to grind and pound away behind. It’s a highly interesting and eye-opening mix, and something you would not generally find on a punk album (experimental punk?).
Ultimately, with a band such as this, it’s probably best to set aside all thoughts of genre and need to categorise, and simply lose yourself in the five tracks worth of powerful, idiosyncratic rock music on offer here. And ultimately, if you dig punk, alternative rock, stoner and other more left of centre styles of rock music, you will find something to enjoy here.
My only beef with this EP is that, after only 19 minutes, it’s all over way too quickly, and I am left wanting more. That’s the essence of an EP however.
The Verdict
If you favour something interesting and different, while still having your socks rocked off, definitely give DIVE INTO RUIN a crack.