Review Summary: Well meaning, but no enjoyment
Protomartyr and their album ‘Ultimate Success Today’ would come under the umbrella of Post-Punk.
The lyrics are deeply thought on a raft of topics. The guitars set dissonant soundscapes that often convey various moods, often unsettling. They are played at a much slower tempo to the rhythm section which is quite fast. I could imagine they sound something between the Pixies and a post-metal prog band, with spoken vocals.
While I feel that this band tries very hard, and have put a lot of effort into this recording, including a very ambitious production, this is a very unenjoyable listen.
The vocals are *very* monotonous, after a couple of minutes, are very draining. The conveyed sanctimonious outrage gets tiring very quickly, and any message that may be there eventually feels like ‘who cares?’
The whole 40 minutes feels like one continuous line of the same that never changes. There is no moment of let up or change of pace. No matter what the backing band does there is simply nothing that alters the feel, from one minute to the next.
The best moment of the album is the fuzzed out bassline on ‘Tranquilizer’. But it’s not taken anywhere. About halfway through ‘June 21’ the guitars and the drums get a vibrant, syncopated rhythm going, but it dies down soon.
Unless you really like post/punk or related genres, you may not enjoy this album.
