Purple-X - "Fear, Beat"

Photo by Sigrun Sæbø Åland

We're living in a world where a genre like punk keeps getting more and more mellow to the point that most of what the kids call punk sounds like top 40. No one told Purple-X that. The Oslo band's new single, "Fear, Beat," is some of the most soul destroying punk we've heard in years. The song is impossibly fast, holding onto the barest shreds of tune and melody while it barrels straight at you. This is definitely noise punk, but not in the artful way you would imagine. It's as if the Germs decided to play louder and faster. "Fear, Beat" can be a painful listen at times, but would you really want this any other way?

You can listen to "Fear, Beat" below. Purple-X's self-titled debut album will be out November 27. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp.