In August, Decibel premiered “Voyeur,” the first track from Warsaw, the latest EP from Philly grinders Bandit. Fronted by Decibel regular Gene Meyer, Bandit have garnered a reputation locally and nationally for their short, spastic songs and destructive live performance. Following a slew of EPs and splits, the trio continue to take on serious subject matter in their songs.
“The title Warsaw is intended to be loosely based around the traumas Gene’s family faced during WWII and how those conflicts have been passed down through generations and affected the lives of everyone in his family,” guitarist Jack McBride told Decibel in August. “Gene’s mother was born in a small village outside of Warsaw called Lomza, and both of her parents experienced Nazi atrocities first hand; her father was even taken prisoner and forced into a slave labor camp.”
The songs on Warsaw are fittingly intense, short, high-energy bursts that come to a screeching halt, often as quickly as they begin. Only one song cracks the one-minute mark—EP closer “Czestawova,” which ends with a Polish folk song. It’s a jarring end to such a violent, cathartic EP, but that’s what Bandit do best.
Enjoy an exclusive stream of Warsaw in its entirety below; the record is out December 30 through Cricket Cemetery.
