Existential dread has been trending for some time now. Our memes, TikToks, Tweets (X-Posting?), and every other algorithm driven information byte is often tied to our collective uncertainty. For better or worse, it is inescapable online, and yet, this is where we spend our time, do our business, get our news, and stay in touch. There may be no immediate solution to this unease, this foreboding feeling of societal collapse, but Oslo rockers Damokles offer up an invigorating escape through their new video and single premiere, “Something’s Amiss At The Hive”.
Formed in 2019, Damokles is a five-piece of Oslo underground music veterans who play intense yet catchy post-hardcore with heavy influences from 90’s hardcore, indie rock, and 80’s dystopian post-punk. Their output has been prolific releasing single after single (including covers from The Cure and Depeche Mode) and two full length albums. Their latest, Swing, Pendulum, Swing is out now on Vinter Records.
“Something’s Amiss At The Hive” is an emotive barrage of post-hardcore twists indebted to the melodicism of Jawbox and the intensity of Unwound. Gang vocals dominate the lyrics while we are taken through an unpredictable journey of an emo riff and motif that explores moments of hardcore breakdowns, black metal’s blast beats, a synth-lead bridge, before a crescendo that calls to mind The Art Of Drowning era AFI and a guitar solo before the song climaxes, and a somber guitar outro sets us free.
In short, this song is wild, fun, and will satisfy many underground music fans. The refrain of ‘Now that we’re all washed out/We can let these waves claim us‘ turns into a mantra of relief from the modern ennui. Visually this is represented by the accompanying music video by Goran Karlsvic juxtaposing live band performances with scenes of random people and mysterious characters caught in societal collapse, navigating through dilapidated structures and letting the earth reclaim their bodies.
