DZTN 1980 – Don’t Give Up CS EP (1859 Records)

Dustin made it once again! His solo project is firing recordings one after another in a matter of months, and it seems that he’s just getting started. If you caught up on my previous articles about this interesting project, you’re probably familiar with this prolific act. DZTN 1980 began its career when Abolitionist disbanded at the very end of 2018, so Dustin Herron wanted to try out something completely diverse comparing to what he used to do before. Unlike Abolitionists, who were much more of a hardcore punk group, DZTN 1980 leans towards obscure post-punk music, decorated by politically charged lyrics. The project released an impressive amount of recordings such as Outside The City, War Of Good Intentions, and Ode To A Dead Earth. Judging by his previous recordings, Dustin felt comfortable with a tremendous change in the sound, but he also upgrades the music of DZTN 1980 with each new recording.

Each new recording delivers something entirely new, so that’s eventually the case with Don’t Give Up. This time, Dustin managed to stack up loads of other elements into already defined foundations of DZTN 1980. Besides the unquestionable dominance of post-punk sound, this time project involves much more anarcho-punk, hardcore punk, and melodic punk rock elements into the music. Therefore, the overall sound is more aggressive, dynamic, dense, but there’s a generous dosage of melodies included along the way that keeps this project into post-punk circles. The rhythmical structures slightly differ from those presented on previous recordings, so the music is much faster, energetic, and intense. Guitars are liberating classic chord progressions similar to eighties anarcho-punk and hardcore punk music, but the included thematics are profoundly examining old school melodic punk rock.

Don’t Give Up showcases six thoughtfully arranged compositions that are questioning the current political climate, the direction the states are heading to, the delusional behavior of the masses, but also calls out individuals to stand out from the crowd and speak up for the civil rights. This material bursts with a slightly darker vibe than previous recordings. There’s a dosage of urgency hidden beneath the music. That urgency screams for a change in the reasoning of the current circumstances within the states. DZTN 1980 advocates the usage of common sense and demands equal rights for all, but also points out to the deviant behavior of those in power. The political aspect of this project never faded. Quite the contrary, it becomes even more evident with each new recording.

Don’t Give Up represents a brand new direction for DZTN 1980 that explores other musical options, but still levitates around post-punk sound. Each new album by this solo act includes loads of innovations within the sound and DZTN 1980 ages like a fine wine. Don’t Give Up is currently available on cassette, and it’s strictly limited to 25 copies, so head over to his Bandcamp page and preserve a copy for yourself.