As mentioned in last week's Contrarian piece, Damokles is a new band out of Norway that includes Gøran Karlsvik (This Sect, Contrarian, etc.) on vocals alongside other members who have been involved with Dunderbeist and No Life Orchestra, amongst others. Self-described as "angry and bleak emo," the group just released its debut single/video yesterday, and it's an interesting amalgam of influences that's rather perplexing to pin down.
The track starts out sounding almost like some of the later Snapcase material à la slightly heavy post-hardcore with melody, but there's obviously a jagged, somewhat noisy indie undercurrent as well. Hearing it again alongside the accompanying video draws out a few quirkier and more atmospheric sides, too. I can't immediately digest how I'd describe where it all feels like it's coming from, but—really—who cares!? It's a memorable tune that sounds great (I can't help but call out the admirably pulsing bass presence), so I'm looking forward to hearing more. Damokles plans to release a full-length later this year, and if this track is any indication, it's probably safe to anticipate some head-scratching surprises...
Download "It's Closing Time" for less than a buck (and find the lyrics) via Bandcamp, or stream it on Spotify if for some reason you're the kind of person who prefers that avenue of audio delivery...
