As the second single off their forthcoming Provocateur EP, Melpomene — named for the Greek Muse of tragedy — is a punk lamentation of a toxic love, mercifully lost to the ether of time. The song charts a breakneck headfuck of a relationship, from the ominous opening to the chugging power chord verse to the wailing chorus and doubletime hardcore crescendo. Mirroring the song’s content, the music seeks to be fast and familiar, yet jarring and discordant, and undeniably intoxicating.
Some bands form easily and naturally. Pickaxe is not one of them. Conceived against the backdrop of a global pandemic and forged through trial and error, false starts, and frustrations, the Washington DC female fronted four-piece melds years worth of loneliness, tragedy, addiction, political upheaval and lost love into a provocative and punishing Post-Hardcore soundscape influenced as much by the storied punk scene of the band’s hometown as by the grunge and metal that dominated rock radio airwaves during the members’ youths.
Pickaxe are:
Emily Rainey – vocals
Rich Thomas – guitar
Cameron Ridenour – bass
Dan Newhauser – drums
Thoughts Words Action 