Pissbrick - Disapproval
Pissbrick is a hardcore-inspired punk band. This group’s members come from a variety of backgrounds across the globe; the vocalist is from Nova Scotia, Canada, guitarist from the state of California in the USA, the bassist from Santiago, Chile and the drummer from Fortaleza, Brazil. For longtime readers of the site who know my affinity for punk music, you already know that I’m excited to share my thoughts on Pissbrick’s EP, Disapproval - let’s dive in!
Disapproval kicks off with “The Lost Art of Thinking”, a track that serves as an absolute declaration of force within Pissbrick’s sound. Lyrically, the track provides commentary on society’s collective loss of thinking for yourself, the kind of topic you would expect from such a powerful sounding punk track. Next up is “Cognizant”, which has the feel of an oldschool punk song but uses modern language like “you do you and I’ll do me”, which sets up an interesting contrast that works really well here. When the palm muted chords in “Silt” start hitting, you know this one is going to be special; this track is full of true punk spirit and angst - the kind that hits hard when you feel wronged by other people. “Silt” also features a nice guitar solo, simple yet extremely melodic, fitting the nature of the track perfectly. “Less Than Human” is the fourth track and it is pure chaos at its finest. I really love the arrangement in this one, with the drummer’s performance absolutely stealing the show from the opening moments of the track.
“Hit the Deck” is the fifth track on the EP and the longest in length - at one minute and fifty-two seconds. In this track, the guitar work really shines with some excellent riff work at times accenting the vocals and at others taking center stage, showing the guitarist’s range-filled skillset. The sixth track from Disapproval is “Forfeit” - my personal favorite from this EP - a purely pulse-pounding track. The vocal cadence in this song reminds me of something close to a young Greg Graffin while the instrumental portion of the song is just as in your face as the vocals. Of note in “Forfeit” is the bassline as well, featuring a very quick, catchy riff that really helps to round out the song as a standout performance from each member of the band. “Dismissal” closes out the EP and, during the intro, is the slowest we hear Pissbrick get on Disapproval, though the track quickly picks up as expected; this track is a complete package and I felt like it closed out Disapproval in a memorable and fitting way.
Despite Disapproval running at only a little over nine minutes long, believe me when I say you will get much more time out of it when you replay it over and over as I did. At times it was hard to take notes for this article while listening because I was getting caught up in all of the high-octane energy and I can assure you, if you are a fan of punk - oldschool, hardcore, pop-punk, any of it, you will find something you enjoy here. This is the kind of music you will want to drive to, run to and skate to. The lyrics are straightforward, personal and world-worn, aching for change in the kind of way you want to hear in punk music. Instrumentally, the guitar work (which was recorded outside in a parking lot under a tree!) is absolutely standout while the bass and drums team well to drive the electrifying tempo forward; you will want to play Disapproval loud! You can listen to Disapproval through YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music and through Bandcamp (embedded below) - strap in and take a listen to the electrifying sounds of Pissbrick!
