Washington D.C.‘s Zabus, a post-punk group led by Jeremy Moore, dives even deeper into existential questions with Floodplain Canticles, the band’s bold new offering. Released early this year via Saccharine Underground, this album expands on the territory explored in their previous release, Automatic Writhing. Inspired by the likes of classic goth and post-punk acts like Joy Division, Killing Joke, and The Cure, Zabus embraces the history of the genre while augmenting it with a unique, darkly psychedelic, trance-like atmosphere that invites listeners to confront their own subconscious fears and desires.
The album’s strength lies in its raw, unflinching exploration of bleak soundscapes, blending distorted guitars, ambient synths, and Moore’s haunting vocals to form a canvas for stark introspection. Thematically, it grapples with humanity’s bleak trajectory toward a dystopian future, raising uncomfortable yet vital questions about life, death, and the spiritual journey. There’s a palpable sense of urgency, as if the ground beneath the listener’s feet is crumbling, yet the music remains oddly comforting in its authenticity.
Throughout all of the gloom, Zabus ultimately rejects nihilism and there is a suggestion of hopefulness for the future through a reckoning with the past. Floodplain Canticles is essential listening for any fan of the genre, but Zabus stands apart with a genre-defying approach that makes for their strongest album yet.
