The debut three track EP from Victorian band The Knives Of Neptune takes on the punk-metal-indie genre that has experienced fame and fortune – at least in Australia – over the past three or so years. Their website, quite a well constructed and informative piece featuring a forum, band info and prose/short stories – link the band to the likes of The Mars Volta and Blueline Medic. The influence of both bands is not hard to see.
I was quite inspired by the song titles before listening to the album. However, they were not, as I’d hope, Radiohead-esque forays into the sonic world of experimental angst rock. Rather, I was presented with punk-rock tinged with a little lingering teen angst. The band’s seeming obsession with outer space is reflected in the title of the third track, The Only Astronaut In Space” (a poignant title if ever there was one), and like the opening track, How To Applaud A Car Crash, it delivers to the listener the kind of music loved by punk/metal/guitar-noise devotees, complete with non-commital vocals (although the lyrics themselves are worth a read on the website!). The second track, Nereid, explores the band’s space theme through an instrumental, experimental play with techno beeps and bleeps.
There’s a genre of music that 75% of boys between the ages of 15 and 23 who are in bands seem to play. This is where The Knives Of Neptune slot in. To their credit, they do well for their genre – and perhaps I’m biased and merely over this sound – and vocalist Wayne writes some fantastic lyrics and prose (I’m hoping he’s studying English at uni), but I’m just not sure the band has much to make it different to all those other bands out there playing pretty much the same thing. In saying that, there are a whole heap of people who are fans of the likes of Thursday who would probably totally dig The Knives… But I don’t. Don’t hate me for it.
