Review: “Post-apocalyptic Silence” by Steamachine

“Post-apocalyptic Silence is not just music for us; it’s a manifestation of our emotions and experiences. We wanted to create something that moves and inspires while prompting reflection on what survival means in difficult times. We hope our listeners find a part of themselves in this EP and can feel what we felt during its creation.” ~ Krystian “Juras” Jurkiewicz, vocalist and guitarist.

Hailing from Olsztyn in Poland, Steamachine have been treading the boards since 2020 with the writing partnership of guitarist duo Krystian “Juras” Jurkiewicz and Konrad “Gałązka” Gałązka at the heart of operations. After releasing debut album “Arktyczny ogień” in 2022 the band went through a couple of line up changes with bassist Dominik Gałązka and drummer Olek Prusinowski creating a new rhythm section. That injected new life and after a couple of singles in “Nightmare” and “Bloodstream” they dabbled in adding elements from other sub-genres like Deathcore and Progressive Metal into their Groove Thrash orientated sound. That lead to the arrival of “City of Death” in 2023, an album which explores the dark recesses of the human soul…

A concept EP about a post-apocalyptic wasteland in which a lone wanderer searches for hope in a desolate, war torn world, fighting to retain humanity in the face of a desperate need simply to survive, “Post-apocalyptic Silence” is a powerful statement piece in creative writing. The journey begins with the title track, a sombre and melancholic piano introduction setting the scene before the guitars and drums come into play and bring us back to the heavier elements we’re used to from this band. A tasteful ebb and flow between the two elements then plays out with the raw emotion of the situation our protagonist finds himself in captured in Gałązka’s emotive vocal performance. While the accenting on the clean vocal parts takes a little getting used to, its in the harsher moments that he comes into his own and the soundscape in those parts certainly helps. Chugging guitars accompanied by buried synths bring “Desert War” to life as Gałązka paints a picture of a struggle for survival, the uncleans masking the slight accenting issue that was present on the cleans of the first cut. Here the band come into their own with a zero risk cut of intense power that gives their rhythm section a chance to shine through the dark oppressive atmospheric before breakdown passage in the final third delivers that satisfying crunch. A portrait in Metalcore of the psychological effects of our protagonists situation, enhancing his primal instincts and returning him from man to beast, “Survival Instinct” is arguably the records finest moment. Buried orchestrations enhance the soundscape, injecting almost mournful melody to contrast the heavier rhythmic assault, a melodic passage giving a little respite before the band deliver a brutal grand finale. Here Gałązka’s unclean vocals shine in disturbing fashion as he summons an inner demon to deliver some truly caustic moments. All in all an experimental affair that bodes well for a third full length album… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Post-apocalyptic Silence
2. Desert War
3. Survival Instinct

“Post-apocalyptic Silence” by Steamachine is out 14th November 2024 and is available over at bandcamp