Forget everything you think you know about the San Francisco underground. When Dark Satellite dropped their 2023 EP, Death Of A Classic, they were releasing a sonic bomb right in the middle of the post-punk revival. While most bands are content to just recycle 1979’s greatest hits, this trio is busy building a time machine that travels to five different decades simultaneously. It’s an addictive, high-voltage experience, feeling like a fever dream where technical precision meets raw, unbridled power. Death Of A Classic refuses to stay in one lane. The band has crafted an innovative sound, arriving like a collision between a high-stakes science experiment and a basement riot. By blending together the angular, nervous post-punk energy with the brain-teasing math-rock complexity, they create soundscapes where nothing is predictable. They layer also infuse the rawness of noise rock and relentless precision of post-hardcore, but then, just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they pivot. You’ll suddenly find yourself floating in these otherworldly, ethereal atmospherics borrowed from post-rock and indie, giving the record a punishing yet pretty duality, rarely heard or seen ona today’s music scene.
In a scene where many vocalists hide behind a mask of cool detachment, Dark Satellite’s delivery is soulful, passionate, and sincere. These vocals bring a deep melody and harmony to the record, acting as the bridge between the technical complexity of the instruments and the listener’s ears. This performance bleeds confidence, turning every lyrical line into a passionate plea or a shout. It serves as the vital emotional anchor, making sure that even when the song structures get truly progressive and out there, you never lose that human connection. The guitars levitate between contrasting worlds. At one moment, they are delivering intricate, clean leads and glimmering, ghostly themes, and the next, they are slamming you into a wall of distorted riffs and complex, rough chord progressions. It’s a dizzying display of skill that avoids the trap of empty showboating. Every note, theme, harmony, melody, chord progression, and other sonic maneuver has its place and purpose here, making this EP worth spinning over again. But a sound this ambitious needs a foundation of iron, and the rhythm section comes in handy here. The bass provides the warmth and depth, making these tracks feel physically imposing. It moves with its own groove and complexity, acting as the harmonic glue that binds the math-rock technicalities to the post-hardcore aggression. The drummer dictates the pace with incredible power, throwing out sharp breaks, complex fills, and unexpected rhythmic shifts that keep the energy at a constant boil. It’s intelligent, flawlessly performed, and provides the structural stability needed to survive the extreme stylistic jumps.
The trio incorporates these calm, otherworldly moments of stillness, when, all of a sudden, the inevitable return to aggression feels ten times more powerful. It’s a programmatic approach to songwriting, creating an intellectual and primal environment. This EP exemplifies Dark Satellite’s knowledge and creativity, proving that they’ve removed all barriers to self-expression. They’ve broken the mold entirely to make something that is an extension of who they are as individuals. If you have a pulse and an appreciation for post-punk, math rock, or heavy indie with a progressive edge, Death Of A Classic is a required addition to your music collection. It’s a magnificent, heavy, and beautifully complex journey that proves Dark Satellite is one of the most exciting acts operating today. Clear some space in your rotation, you’re going to be living with this one for a long time. Head to their Bandcamp page for more information about ordering this gem on CD.
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