One of the most compelling elements of my work as an independent music critic is watching bands grow over the years. I was first introduced to Psycho Melodic Kill Switch over a year ago when they released an off-kilter track called ‘Higher Than Keith Richards’. The music was incredibly bizarre, and sometimes even bad, but it was highly entertaining and it knew its niche. Their subsequent record was surprisingly good as well. Now the band is off to the races with a full length album, ‘Post Negative Melody’. So, is it any good? Let’s find out.
These boys are championing women’s rights and freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia, reads the Band Camp description of PMKS. It doesn’t get much more punk rock than that. This, of course, has always been one of the most fascinating elements of this band’s work. How many other bands do you hear out of Saudi Arabia? Their location allows them to muse about entirely different societal issues. I’m glad PMKS takes that opportunity, though I’ve always wondered if there is any cost of doing so in their country.
‘Cover Their Faces’ makes a bold entrance on the album, essentially arguing that men should cover their faces to see how women in Saudi Arabia feel every day. It’s not often you hear a track rail against the patriarch of society, a thing I do love about PMKS. It also offers a tiny glimpse the culture the band lives within. If a woman if considered to be an object of temptation and lust, she should be covered to avoid that.
Out of the gate, the same weird quirks from PMKS previous endeavors are apparent. Zaney, slightly out of tune guitar riffing, frank lyricism that’s spoken in a particularly peculiar way, and so on. I believe I’ve levied a Talking Heads comparison toward PMKS in the past that still holds true. One may also find quite a bit of Robyn Hitchcock at play here, too.
“Subjugate The Girls’ continues PMKS’ commentary on how Middle Eastern society can often throw human rights to the side of the road in favor of subjugation, especially in regard to women. They can’t drive. They can’t leave. They can’t be educated. These are frustrating systemic problems, and as PMKS points out, the world can sometimes turn a blind eye toward it. Subjugate The Girls is one of the most punk tracks in the indie music scene right now. PMKS presentation is excellent.
‘Electric Dreams’ is a piece of music I’ve touched on in the past. It flirts with what it means to human, creating a fictional robot woman who may very well boast more humanity than those of flesh and blood around her. It’s also a bit of a heart-breaker, because at some point this woman was human and is now locked away in some sort of matrix. It’s an interesting story, one that does seem to go hand in hand with its predecessors well.
Early on in this album, it’s made clear that the central theme is the independence of women, whether that be in the Middle East or in a science fiction scenario.Melody Switch continues this, but this time, with a ‘Goddess of Fuck’ – a promiscuous woman with a stereotypical Catholic upbringing. PMKS seems to be championing her individuality to live a life like that if she so chooses. The searing, distorted composition is amongst the best on the album as well.
‘Perfect Storm’ is an interesting ballad-esque track that seems to pull a metaphorical page out of Neil Young’s ‘Like A Hurricane’ is eclipsed, however, by the explosive nature of Mary. ‘Mary’ is one of those songs that’ll floor you when you first hear it. There’s nothing quite as uncomfortable as a borderline pornographic recount of the Virgin Mary getting knocked up by God. (Fully equip with sampled sex sounds, of course.)
‘Remember Paris’ does contend for your discomfort, though, with a detailed description of the Paris terror attacks of last November. (The track also touches on the Charlie Hebdo incident.) Â The track is, more or less, a middle finger in the faces of those who stand and live in the shadows. ‘You With Stupid’ gets increasingly accusatory, this time turning the listener’s gaze toward the societal strife here in the States. (Spoiler: we have a penchant for hatred in our own special, frustratingly stupid, western, way.)
The closing tracks of the album offer some additionally interesting commentary. The hard-hitting ‘Intimidation Doll’ is about men being intimidated by successful, powerful women. ‘Higher Than Keith Richards’ is back as well. It’s still sort of awful, but in its own lovable way. The band doesn’t miss an opportunity to take a shot across the bow at record companies, too, with the frighteningly accurate ‘No One Listens To Lyrics Anymore’.
‘Dancing Girl’,the finale of the album, is most certainly it’s most anthemic:
“Shes a psychopathic savior of those who are in need”
PMKS declares of a woman dancing in a club. (Again, Talking Heads.”Psycho Killer” anyone?) After a few tracks of heavy subject matter, (except for ‘Keith Richards’, obviously) it’s nice to have a more lighthearted finale.
‘Post Negative Melody’ is a really heavy record. The production is a bit haywire, the vocals aren’t anything to write home about, and the performances sometimes evoke an image of an electric guitar getting smashed into a nearby amplifier. But, it is good! It has more personality that ten of its independent brethren. It talks about serious issues to varying degrees of success and stands in the face of massive societal struggles. As a result of that, ‘Post Negative Melody’ is exactly what it needs to be. It’s PMKS to the core, and ‘m happy they fulfilled their potential on a full album.
By Brett Stewart
I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.
