Review: “Gonflez Mon Sac” by Spankraght

Hailing from Antwerp in Belgium, Spankraght first came to our attention five years ago when a Kickstarter campaign helped them complete concept album “Thou Shalt Drown In The Blood Of Thy Children” complete with DooM II levels. A seven track affair comprised of heavy guitars and danceable electronics with retro video game nostalgia, that record if one that has a guest vocalist on every cut, including Zak Tell of Clawfinger and Franky DSVD of Channel Zero. Naturally it left a lasting impression but having appeared prior to the winds of plague, it didn’t get the live shows the band craved and they hit a wall. It was 2024 when things changed with the recording of guitars and bass for eight new tracks, Kevin Cools taking on vocals, guitars, synths, programming and noise leaving W. Van Mieghem to play bass. Mastered by former Aborted bassist Sven Janssens (Gore Force V, Shrine of August, Prematory) at Red Left Hand, the final versions of the new songs are said to sound crisp and fresh but the name? A French title might sound sophisticated but “Gonflez Mon Sac” translates to “Blow Up My Sac“, a Flemish way to say “Go f*** yourself”. Why? Because Spankraght created something they wanted to create first and foremost…

A middle finger to the naysayers opening cut “Ecchymosis” combines 90’s PC game electronics with crunchy guitars to create a wonderfully nostalgic sound,  reminiscent of bands like Spineshank, “.com” era Pitchshifter or Mad Capsule Markets. Lyrically, its a middle finger to the naysayers with clean vocals that push the negativity away and instead focus on, as Cools puts it, reclaiming their crown. Longer instrumental passages between verses make it more danceable and there is even a little throwback to the late 80’s era of Gothic Synthwave in grand finale. Unclean vocals surface in “The Massacre” giving it a sharper edge, the track having a cold nature with Fear Factory like bassline, pushing back against the relative warmth of the first track. Creepy synths enhance the programming, catchy lyrics making it even more of a guilty pleasure than you might think it would be. Tapping into the Nintendo-core sub-genre coined by bands like Jump Man, the first of two instrumentals “Kusharit Umoti” brings back memories of Atari Teenage Riot with science fiction synths and classic programming. The kind of track that would lend itself to playing during an action sequence in a summer blockbuster, it works incredibly well, the guitars taking a back seat to the keys but still offering that satisfying background rumble we all know and love. A hilariously embarrassing tale of deception “Evil Lynn” tells the story of a dude who gets catfished before finding personal videos going viral. Cools storytelling abilities are fantastic, adding a dark humour to everything and the soundscape is everything it needs to be and then some.

The thing with instrumentals is that they have to be enough on their own to keep you engaged without lyrics to fall upon and need to avoid getting overly repetitive. That’s not an easy thing to master but Spankraght have it down to a fine art as “Stingers” demonstrates with lush synths and a galloping drum machine to accompany the crunchy riffs. As with some of the earlier works it has that science fiction element but also the richness of Japanese RPG soundtracks and has a very well rounded sound as a result. “L’ Aldilà” (or “The Afterlife“) has fleeting yet dreamy introduction before bouncy guitars come into play, the lush synths returning in the final third. There is an argument that this one sounds a little incomplete because the vocals and lyrics are sparce but in some ways that is actually part of its charm. A classic tale of being ground down by the 9-5 grind as we feed the machine without rhyme or reason “Crunch Culture” makes great use of samples to sound like a news headline reel before Cools begins to rant and rave. Distinctive KMFDM or perhaps even Kill II This vibes rise the the surface, the balance between the synths and the guitars perfectly weighted. Last but by no means least “Shards” tells a tale of chasing a dream, selling your body and soul in the process and being left with nothing except bitterness. A more traditional song structure with a distinctive verse, chorus and mid-cut breakdown gives this one more instant appeal, the dark lyrical narrative a product of modern society. All in all, a more personal record than the first “Gonflez Mon Sac” feels like the shackles have been taken off as the band have embraced a new found freedom [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Ecchymosis
2. The Massacre
3. Kusharit Umoti (Instrumental)
4. Evil Lynn
5. Stingers (Instrumental)
6. L’ Aldilà
7. Crunch Culture
8. Shards

“Gonflez Mon Sac” by Spankraght is out 6th June 2025 and is available over at bandcamp