Album Review: Bench Press - Not The Past, Can't Be The Future

There’s something to be said for a band who cut the frills and get straight to the nitty-gritty. Opening up a release and running through it no muss, no fuss, is a pretty refreshing thing to hear, even in punk - cue Bench Press and their brand new album, Not The Past, Can't Be The Future.

No gain, all pain, Bench Press’ second full-length album retains all the frantic aggression of their self-titled debut but strips things down so those grainy nuances seep through, bordering on sludgy. The balance here is beautiful, you’ll miss nothing and really enjoy the subliminal dissection Bench Press offers.

Bold and boisterous, the bass makes its presence known in Two Years, and does so without drowning out the other instruments - it’s merely joining the party. Bench Press do lose the plot slightly in Better Mirror, the lyrics, as raw as they are, feel like they belong in a different song. The intermittent high-pitched prick of guitars emulate glass shattering, so all up, it’s a pretty clever track. Baby Steps is an all-up party track, a real lose-yourself moment thanks to the rabid rhythms and raucous guitar squeals.

Just a taste of what you can expect from the Melbourne post-punks, an enigma of a release that, clean cut as it seems, still manages to penetrate the eardrums and leave a suitably filthy residue.