Night Miasma – Exhausted 7″ (It’s Eleven Records)

Wow! Remember that L’appel Du Vide review from yesterday? Well, this 7″ record was in the same package. Night Miasma is a band consisting of L’appel Du Vide members, and once again, they’re playing post-punk but with a much darker ambiance lurking around. As someone who spent over two decades listening to the eighties hardcore punk, punk rock, and post-punk, I must admit this 7″ record is right up my alley. There’s something about these four songs that are keeping me spinning this piece of plastic all morning. You’ll probably do that as soon as you check it out.

As I said above, Exhausted 7″ carries four outstanding post-punk tracks enhanced by darkened, melancholic, but not so depressive ambiance. Bands like T.S.O.L., Adolescents, Agent Orange, and D.I. are the first ones that come to mind while listening to these numbers. You may assume this is a Los Angeles punk-oriented release, and you would not be far from the truth, but Exhausted leans much more towards the mid-eighties era when many bands leaned towards post-punk and goth rock sound. Night Miasma fully embraced the beforementioned sound but also simultaneously included some of their signature sonic maneuvers. Therefore, besides reverby chord progressions, semi-distorted basslines, and rhythmic acrobatics decorated by a heavy snare sound, you can expect fresh ideas and arrangements that aren’t the property of the eighties LA-punk scene.

It’s interesting how this project differs compared to the L’appel Du Vide. Perhaps these two bands share nearly the same genre, but the ambiance drastically differs. L’appel Du Vide leans much more towards the UK post-punk while Night Miasma explores the US dark punk waters. Yet both projects burst with sheer creativity, excellent arrangements, and exquisite musicianship. Maybe Night Miasma sounds a bit more dynamic due to the involvement of some hardcore punk elements, but other than that, these musicians are keeping the banner of post-punk up high, and they’re doing it pretty damn well. Head to It’s Eleven Records for more information about ordering this 7″ release.