Static Dress: Injury Episode

Continuing in the tradition of, in my opinion, the golden age of post-hardcore from 1998 to 2008, the new Static Dress record ‘Injury Episode’ offers a heavy-hitting and truly singular follow up to their 2022 debut, ‘Rouge Carpet Disaster’. Taking influence from a vast array of artists (both musical and visual), the group fuses elements of punk, metal, electronic, jazz, shoegaze and pop to create a unique amalgam that brings their lore to life.

Fans of the MySpace era of alternative music will feel right at home while listening to ‘Injury Episode’, but this is much more than just a rehashing of styles that have already been explored. There is a sense of care and intention throughout the album that calls to mind the progressive storytelling that defined the scene through bands like I Am Ghost, My Chemical Romance, Boys Night Out, Scatter The Ashes and Protest The Hero. Despite the infusion of effects and electronics, the production of the album feels raw and organic, with a grit that underscores the emotional intensity of each song while managing to never sound muddy or crowded. 

Having solidified their lineup for ‘Injury Episode’, Static Dress traverse genres, moods, tempos and time signatures with sultry flair that exudes confidence in both their present and their future as a unit. Vocalist and main storywriter Olli Appleyard clearly has a vision for the band and the musicians backing him up feel synchronized with that vision, which enhances the listening experience. Though I was not familiar with this group prior to listening to this album and therefore have no frame of reference for the story, I can still pick up bits and pieces in the lyrics and even in the composition.

And on a more personal note, as someone who writes, performs, records and produces my own music, this album has given me a much clearer idea of the kind of sound I want to achieve. The mixing and engineering are impeccable and I am already thinking about how I can get a similar sound for my own projects, even though the majority of my music is pretty far outside the realm of metal or post-hardcore.

I was always on the proggier end of the alt spectrum; while my friends were listening to A Day To Remember, Parkway Drive and Underoath (who is featured on the album’s second single ‘Nostalgia Kills’), I was hooked on Opeth, Primus and Coheed & Cambria. It wasn’t until later in life (i.e. within the past five years) that I really dug into a lot of the more popular bands from those years and discovered how much great music I had been missing out on. ‘Injury Episode’ is an absolute treat for both sides and it will certainly be in heavy rotation for me for quite some time.