A long-time birthplace of some of the country’s most prolific punk artists, Seattle is now also home to the hardcore punk band The Makhnos. They have released a self-titled 5-song EP with tracks like “Breaking Our Chains,” “Traps,” and “Sirens,” all of which sound like they were as fun to play as they are politically charged. (Hell yeah, btw.)
The EP starts off strong with their track, “Decisions.” Kicking off the entire band’s beginnings of their discography, it strikes with pleasantly familiar signature punk elements, reminiscent of Laura Jane Grace’s earlier punk vocals along with damn good guitar tones to keep things dynamic and slicing through each punk beat.
The song, along with the rest of the EP, delivers a kind of clear and organic sound without losing its edge, both stylistically and within the mix. Excellently made before and during its time in a recording environment.
But it wouldn’t really be a punk song if you only remembered the sound; “Decisions” is as clear to the point as it sounds, as it’s a song about living in the world you didn’t exactly get born into without being asked, a truly existential expose on the boat none of us asked to be in. Upon closer examination, it gets even deeper:
“Born without asking
Live without answers
Born without asking
Live without answers
Born without asking
Thrown into the storm
Screaming through life
In a world I am sworn”
Beyond the existential confessionals and the cathartic messaging of “Break Our Chains,” let’s get going out on a limb here; it sounds as though their band name is a nod to the Ukrainian insurgent peasant army leader Nestor Makhno, who served the anarchist revolutionary during the Russian Civil War, gaining tactical and pragmatic respect from Vladimir Lenin during the early 20th century. With anarchist political nods to solidarity among the common working class and taking bold, pragmatic action in the face of class wars, it’s no secret why this would be a most fitting name for a PNW punk band emerging during the undeniable rise of fascism they rage on in the name of their values:
Anti-Fascist, Anti-racist, Pro worker, Pro Liberty, Pro Queer, Pro Human.
The only thing I’d wanna hear more from this track would be a live version of the single; they captured the elements of a punk band’s energy so well on the mix without sacrificing clarity or an organic sound, but I would be willing to bet that The Makhnos play a mean live set, too. Guess we’ll all just have to catch a live set in Seattle soon, maybe even make friends with friends of the working class among the crowd while we’re there.
Listen anywhere you listen to music, but do the punk thing and go buy their EP on Bandcamp and tell them a Trans Media Devil sent you or something.
For Fans of: Against Me!, RVIVR, Dropkick Murphys, The Menzingers, Dune Rats, Crass, The Gits, Chumbawamba, Nestor Makhno, anarchy, guillotines, definitely not the 1%
Written by Samson Winsor
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The post Seattle Punk Newcomers, The Makhnos, Release Ripping Debut EP appeared first on ROCK THE PIGEON.
