DREAM NAILS – DOOM LOOP
Release Date: 13th October 2023
Label: Marshall Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Queer Punk, Punk.
FFO: Bikini Kill, Nova Twins, Amyl and the Sniffers.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
Are you ready for a revolution? I know I am! Dream Nails will lead the way with their sophomore release Doom Loop. This work shows the group cultivating a more rounded out and mature sound compared to their self-titled premiere. Dream Nails are on a mission not only to make sweet, sweet punk music, but to also to engage in activism. According to the press release, this album “…celebrates the strength and resilience of diverse identities, narrating stories of butch and trans masculine experiences alike, while highlighting our shared responsibility in combating misogyny as a global community.” What is the inspiration for the title Doom Loop? Singer Ishmael Kirby states “Doom Loop is an exploration of the repeated cycles we find ourselves in…from political injustice and patriarchal systems to the negative spirals of our minds. A doom loop is a crisis that starts to feed on itself. It feels like there is no escape. But there is. This album is a reflection of ourselves, the world we live in, and the one we want to create.” Be still my feminist heart!
It’s been some time since I felt like an album ticked off all of the boxes of what makes punk…well, punk. A particularly enjoyable aspect is the diversity of sound. Musically this isn’t your basic, 3 chord, straight shot, fast and aggressive type of deal. The songs are, dare I say, catchy, but not in a saccharine pop punk sort of way. Raw energy and emotion abounds, but with a bit of a polished finish. Think maybe a danceable Sleater-Kinney with a side of Bikini Kill. There are some riffs and song structures that also are a bit reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age which I most definitely didn’t expect, but it was a pleasant surprise. Are there going to be people in the scene who won’t view Doom Loop as holding up the more traditional sounds of punk? Sure. But perhaps this was the shape of punk to come.
What makes this work stand out, though, is the subject matter. There are plenty of kids and young adults (hell, even some old heads) who NEED to hear this record because it is going to help them feel complete, understood, and validated. They are dealing with absolute shit day in and day out for being part of the LGBTQ+ community and they are at the end of their rope thinking that no one understands what they are going through. I can picture a teen poking around online, reading about Dream Nails, and deciding to check them out; their little mind is blown because there are people that “get it” and aren’t afraid to call out the mistreatment of people within a patriarchal system. One of my favourite tracks examines how someone might be drawn to an incel frame of mind through societal expectations of what it means to be “a man” and how lack of female attention reflects some sort of inherent failure. Maybe some of you are reading this and thinking “Why does any of this matter?” or “This doesn’t really have anything to do with my life.” As is so well pointed out by Dream Nails, the issues they raise truly do affect all of us.
As much as Doom Loop will be a boon to some, there are others that won’t be happy with it. It isn’t easy to be called out and have to consider one’s privileged position in society and how it comes at the expense of others. If there is one genre of music that is good for that, though, it is punk rock. Dream Nails, you are bringing it in all of the best ways possible. Part of me wants to tell you to stay away from the states because the current climate is downright unsafe for the LGBTQ+ community, but I know your message is needed here more now than ever. As the old Act Up slogan goes “Silence=Death” and we cannot afford to be quiet.
(4.5 / 5)
