Destroy Boys - Funeral Soundtrack #4 review
By Alex Walden
Rowdy Punk with a dark twist
Ever since I heard Duck Eat Duck World for the first time after booting up Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Remastered back in 2020, I’ve been hooked on that archaic alternative angst that Destroy Boys bring to their music. However, after reading the title of the bands new album “Funeral Soundtrack no.4” as well as listening to single releases such as Boyfeel and Plucked I suspected that Destroy Boys were ready to make a shift in sound and as it turned out I was right…well to an extent. While there are snippets of the classic Destroy Boys sound throughout the album, if that’s specifically what you’re looking for in this album, then you’re going to be disappointed. But that’s not to say that Destroy have screwed the pooch with this album, this piece of work is what every band aims to do with any project, and that is to sound innovative while also staying true to their roots.
A surprise, but a welcome one.
From the moment you press play, and the echoed, subtle guitars of “Bad Guy” ring out, there’s a sudden aura of darkness and mystery that immediately clouds your mind. While yes I admit I was a little sceptical of how the rest of the album would sound upon my first listen, it’s now that I realise that Bad Guy is a statement piece; it essentially tells you to not expect your classic Destroy Boys this time, this is what you’re going to get and if you don’t like it well… tough. It does an excellent job in setting the tone for you, and it’s a not a bad one at that. Along with Bad Guy, tracks such as Praying and Amor Divino really hone in on that dark, gothic and almost hopeless romantic type of vibe that emanates from this album and
it’s that energy that makes the more melodic tracks come up on top in this album.
Tracks such as Shedding Skin, Amor divino and Boyfeel deliver a very moody sound while also occasionally delivering very vulnerable messages lyrically. With these songs (especially Boyfeel) you get the sense that the band really needed this. It’s as if that now that they’re a little bit older, they’ve perfected the art of making melodic art from pain rather than just some fired up aggressive punk slammer (not to say that the latter is worse of course). The group’s ability to construct such catchy riffs make you almost forget how sad the lyrics can be due to how freeing the melodies sound. But none of the songs do it quite like Plucked does.
Lyrics like “Take a bird out of the sky and you wonder why she wants to fly” really stop and make you think when you sit down and read them, and yes I say sit down and read on purpose because I know for a fact that the melody of this song will have you doing anything but listening to the lyrics; it has this light and catchy groove that makes you just want to dance.
It’s rare that I find melodies that have that something in them that make you just want to express yourself physically while also having the modesty to not sound overcomplicated or overbearing in the mix. The bridge towards the end of the song is nothing that I would consider incredibly revolutionary yet for weeks now it’s been stuck in my head almost accompanying me throughout my life. I’ve been lucky enough to spend this past summer up and down the country bouncing from city to city and through the chaos of it all I’ve been able to find peace through Plucked. I didn’t expect it to, but not only has it been stuck in my head, but it’s also stuck by my side.
Giving the people what they need, not want
As mentioned previously, If you’re like me then you mainly listen to Destroy Boys for their more upbeat punk sound. Well I’m glad to report that not only is it still there, but it has been waiting for the moment to just grab your ears and bellow into them. Prior to this album, Destroy Boys had a really good punk sound that’s unique selling point was its accessibility; it wasn’t too brash or too fast but neither did it sound lacking or pretentious, it was the perfect mix, and it was this beauty in simplicity that made upping the ante that bit more risky for the band. Often artists find themselves stuck as they desperately try to innovate from their last work but sometimes we as the audience are happy with the same sound we know and love, hence why I was ready to lap up another serving of classic Destroy Boys punk, however I’m glad to say that I was surprised at how much more this band had to offer this time. Songs like You Hear Yes, Beg For Torture and Should’ve Been Me really are a step up for the band, they’ve taken that angst that we all know and love and elevated it to simply full-on aggression. These songs have fast and violent hooks and go hand in hand with the severity of the topics discussed. In an interview with Kerrang, founding member Vi Mayubga discussed how she likes to indulge in topics that are considered more taboo when writing her songs.
‘I tend to write about abusive situations, or manipulative, confusing situations, where it’s not black and white. It’s so multi-dimensional being in experiences like that’.
And with lyrics like “Why can't I walk in the street, without men bothering me?, I'm sick of being sad when I'm alone, I'm sick of being scared on my walk home, I’m sick of being trapped by what you impose, You hear yes, when I say no” and “I know you’re scared, I see your fear”, it’s abundantly clear that Destroy Boys know exactly what they want and there’s no hidden meaning to sugarcoat it. These guys have had enough of the subliminal message through art BS, they have something to say and they’re going to say it now!
Conclusion
Between their melodic softer tracks that will have you feeling light and free as you dance around, to the heavy aggressive thrashers that are just full of rage; it’s clear that regardless of which sound you prefer from Destroy Boys, they’ve achieved what every band aims to do with every album and that’s to have pushed themselves to progress their sound. While I admit that the initial teasers left me a little sceptical (and I still wouldn’t say that this album is the soundtrack to my funeral, or any funeral to be honest) it’s definitely a soundtrack for whatever confusing stage of life you’re in right now and that’s the beauty of Destroy Boys, their sound is just so accessible for everyone.
