Bleakness - A World to Rebuild


I randomly stumbled across an image of the album cover for French post-punk band Bleakness's most recent EP "A World to Rebuild" and immediately sought the band out based on how cool that cover is. I've always been attracted to bands that have a consistent and interesting aesthetic, and Bleakness's artwork immediately drew me in. Just looking at their covers, album titles, and song titles, you can feel an uneasy apocalyptic mixture of despair and hope.

The music captures this vibe as well. I like a lot of gothy post-punk stuff, but I'm a hardcore kid at heart, and it tends to lose me when it doesn't give me the raw energy I associate with the best acts of the genre. Bleakness walks the line between moody 80s goth and modern hardcore perfectly, reminding me of  Coliseum or Terrible Feelings, genre stalwarts who ground their morbidity in a driving fury, as much Minor Threat as Joy Division. 

I've spent my Saturday morning listening to this EP over and over again. It's rare I stumble across something that so instantly grabs me. The album is name your price, so you have no excuse not to go pick it up. Bleakness is one of the best bands I've heard doing this genre recently, and I can't wait to see what else they do. 

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