Album Review: Injury Episode by Static Dress
Written by Adrian Byrne
In the two weeks following the release of Injury Episode by Static Dress, it is hard to say anything that hasn’t already been said yet. I have listened to this album almost daily, allowing it to claw its way into the corners of my brain and viciously sink its teeth in. And frankly, I’d let it do that over and over again. Injury Episode is a beast of an album, fiercely guarding its territory in my skull and in the post-hardcore genre.
As a long time lover of post-hardcore, I’ve been thrilled by its resurgence in more recent years. Perhaps the rash I once got from those Hot Topic jelly bracelets has reached my brain, but I believe this current wave of post-hardcore is saturated with talent that can stand with the headliners of the 2000s. With their sophomore album, I believe Static Dress to be one of those new überly-talented acts, and I especially admire that their talents come from their own making. This, of course, pertains to the album’s main theme of critique: nostalgia, the way it is being marketed, and the way it is slowly killing us.
Injury Episode graciously offers you the sounds you’d expect, as if placing a baby bird in the palm of your hand. Only to have it crushed immediately and its bones snapping sound like blast beats, techno-melodic guitar, and abrasive screaming. I like the tracks from its first half; songs like Questioning, Pharmacy Film, and Adapter made my ears perk up as a long-time lover of My Chemical Romance, Dance Gavin Dance, and Thursday. Its lead single, Nostalgia Kills, boasts post-hardcore/metal giants Underoath, further entrenching that they’ve 1. Done their homework and 2. Can hang with the greats with ease. I also like their use of melodic interlude tracks – Not A Lesson To Be Endured, But To Grow From… and Lose The Rain – that bookend the album’s story and complement the sound switch in tracks like …Hospice and Treading. But the heavier tracks in the latter half have my heart fully. Brutal is better here, and the run between Male-bomb, Dull Blade Disguise, Classic.Death.Pose, Adult Diamond, and Human Props is brutal. As Static Dress continues to shape their sound, you can add nasty breakdowns and violent beats to that ever-growing laundry list. Fans of Harms Way, Thrown, Paleface Swiss can find solace knowing this album will be heavy enough for them.
Now about nostalgia. There’s no denying the various musical influences this album has tapped, and Static Dress nor myself are arguing against their inspiration. But through their lyricism and musical application, Static Dress is strictly defining what they stand for and their space in the genre. Again I love this resurgence of post-hardcore as much as any elder-emo, but so much it is recycled sounds with synchronous lyrics. There is no risk being taken by bands because someone else already took that risk. The recent wave of nostalgia marketing is present in everything, from our music to our movies (why are there seven Jurassic Parks and five Toy Stories?) to our politics. The same sounds, stories, and styles are repackaged and sold to us over and over, to make us believe that everything has already been done for us. This mentality kills creativity, it kills critical thinking. It allows AI to make our art and politicians to make us return to a greater time. There is comfort in nostalgia, but also deep cause for concern and Injury Episode is a warning message. So I commend Static Dress for doing new things and old things in new ways. It makes for a great listen from start to finish, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. See you in the pit.
