With very little (nay, no) exposure from the mainstream media, Albany post-hardcore band Drug Church have become something of legends within the scene. Like fellow punk rock agitators Fucked Up, they’ve a moniker that could be considered career suicide and garner zero airplay, but rather than being a hindrance, this New York quintet have positively blossomed in the shade. Album number five finds them in experimental mode, delivering a bunch of songs that are stitched together by their own eclecticism and presented in typically irreverent, satirical style.
PRUDE is an album that’s bursting at the seams with great ideas, certainly more than you’d expect in ten songs and twenty-eight minutes, yet it never feels cluttered. That’s partly due to the production which injects a lot of “air” into the songs and gives each instrument room to breathe, and turns PRUDE into Drug Church’s most anthemic album yet. Opening track ‘Mad Care’ (and, indeed, the whole album) seems tailor made for the live environment with its huge sound and you can almost see a crowd turn into a seething mass as ‘Mad Care’ tumbles from your speakers. While not generic, ‘Mad Care’ feels strangely familiar; like a surprise visit from a long forgotten friend, it is the type of song that reminds you why you fell in love with punk in the first place. Likewise, the following ‘Myopic’ has a riff that’ll immediately burrow itself in your cranium, and once inside it won’t be leaving anytime soon.
For PRUDE, vocalist Patrick Kindlon has streamlined his lyrical style; they’re still insightful and cut to the wick of human nature, but songs such as ‘Yankee Trails’ and ‘Business Ethics’ have removed all euphemisms and leave little doubt about their meaning. It means you don’t have to get all analytical to enjoy PRUDE; sure there’s plenty of depth if you wish to enjoy it on a cerebral level, but there’s also a visceral edge to tracks like ‘The Bitter’ that’ll ignite pits wherever it is played. However, it’s the thoughtful ‘Peer Review’ that brings PRUDE to a conclusion, a track that raises more questions than answers, but that’s always been the Drug Church way.
With no signs of slowing down, Drug Church have hit a creative peak with PRUDE. I’m sure they’re already planning their next move, but for now enjoy a band at the top of their game.
- PRUDE is released via Pure Noise Records on 4th October 2024.
- Official Website
Track List:
1. Mad Care
2. Myopic
3. Hey Listen
5. Business Ethics
6. Slide 2 Me
7. Chow
8. The Bitters
9. Yankee Trails
10. Peer Review
