PROGRAM - Dehumanized Progress (review)
A classic d-beat punk sound that is simultaneously over and underutilized
Score: 5/10
For a d-beat punk album with no surprises, much of it is reliable: the deep raspy growls, uninterupted hardcore riffs, and pummeling d-beat drums pattern all at rapid pace. In under 20 minutes, the record takes a wall to wall journey through apocalyptic landscapes and reach the most brutal depths of humanity, or lack thereof.
The war-torn imagery is set early by '“Beasts” with a soundclip of crying children, a chunky guitar buildup, and the unleashing of their classic punk sound. The style remains unaltered throughout and can blur to the point of being forgettable, but some highlights shine through. The foreboding drum intro of “Break Out,” the motorized chugging of “Washed Away,” and the crash-heavy “Pleasure for Blood,” which is the most moshable with its lively guitar solo and epic dragged-out finish.
After some d-beat burnout, “Revenge” acts as both a breather and a re-energizer at the midpoint with its slower pace and more focused song structure. The guitars ring out longer and the drums are pounded even harder with new rhythms. The sequence of the tracks is decent, but “Automata” is too similar to the rest of the album to musically or lyrically give closure as the final track
For growling that is mostly indiscernable, the lyrics are surprisingly significant. Some are straightforward statements about human value: “Our life is not a joke, we're not numbered disposable and time sifts through our broken fingers.” Other songs are about reflection: “Wasted time, wasted life, playing revolution in your mind. Pointing to the screen, looking for someone to blame. . . blame yourself!” Themes of political leaders facing judgement day and technology “dehumanizing” people are obligatory, but they are told through unsettling hopelessness. There is no faith placed in mere mortals and the album offers no answers. We’re too late. “I can't find the meaning, or the perception to say 'fuck off' and break out of the hell. . . that you made,” Enok Vazques shouts with believable angst. It’s a shame his strong gravelly vocals and social critiques get lost in the madness, especially when the recording quality does a great job at smoothing out what would normally be rough around the edges.
There’s no denying its able to keep the mosh pit moving. It’s intense, angry, and brutally honest, but the lack of riffs that truly stick, the overuse of the same formula, and short snippets make this album more of a musical idea, rather than solidified songs. While some would say its SUPPOSED to be this way, the excellent production shows that there is room for a welcomed upgrade, and with a song like “Revenge,” PROGRAM can use a different approach with success. There’s nothing wrong with recreating a niche genre of a niche genre, it just tends to make musicians set up bounderies they should be breaking instead of building.
Score: 5/10