Enzyme – Golden Dystopian Age

Coming together in 2016 from the remnants of various ear-splitting rackets like Pisschrïst, Krömosom, Hävittäjät, and Scab Eater, Melbourne, Australia’s Enzyme has relentlessly carved out their way into the Japanese-influenced noise-drenched punk. The band’s ultra-abrasive sound draws from Confuse, Gloom, and Exit Hippies with the sprawling expansiveness of psychedelic space rock, particularly inspired by Hawkwind.

After several demos, EPs, including a noteworthy split with Osaka’s crasher crusties Zyanose, and their 2019 debut album Howling Mind, Enzyme now detonates their sophomore apocalypse, Golden Dystopian Age. This new offering builds on their signature psych-punk and visceral hardcore, while incorporating unexpected bursts of electronic elements, ranging from dancey disco beats to hard techno, courtesy of NERVE (aka Joshua Wells). The result is a sonic kaleidoscope that further elevates the band’s imaginative reach. Emerging from three tumultuous years of cataclysmic fires, overwhelming floods, societal unrest, and the harrowing grip of Australia’s lockdowns, this album stands as a jagged reflection of a world off its hinges.

With eight incendiary tracks that storm through in a blistering 14 minutes, it’s a sonic onslaught in the best subterranean punk tradition: explosive drumming, searing guitars with a barrage of fuzz and distortion, a bass line that resonates deep in your gut, and an unrelenting torrent of haunting screams. Intermittent disco beats and subtle psychedelia add another layer of creativity to the band’s output, amplifying rather than overshadowing Enzyme’s punk essence and their raging political message. A testament to the DIY ethos, Golden Dystopian Age was entirely self-produced, from recording to mastering, with Enzyme and a tight-knit community of dedicated friends overseeing every aspect, including the artwork inspired by the Japanese crust punk canon.

In the landscape of 2023’s standout punk records, Golden Dystopian Age holds its ground impressively, right alongside rabble-rousing albums like American band Physique’s latest offering Again and Melbourne’s own GELD with their Relapse Records breakthrough, Currency // Castration. Musically, Enzyme’s new release fits comfortably between the two, offering its own unique take on the dystopian themes that pervade the current times we live in. Anchored in a seething anti-authoritarian spirit during a time of mounting societal tension, Golden Dystopian Age is certainly one of the most powerful punk statements of the year.