Chalk

Ross Cullen, Benedict Goddard and Luke Niblock meet in 2019 while attending college. Passionate about filmmaking and music, the three quickly start playing together, swept up by Ireland's new post-post-punk scene, which in recent years has produced bands that have become international points of reference, such as Fontaines D.C. and Murder Capital. But Chalk (the name chosen by the trio) don't pick Dublin as their base, but rather Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The first single, "Them", came out in March 2022, followed by three EPs ("Conditions", "Conditions II", "Conditions III") released at intervals of just under a year apart, thirteen tracks in all that ideally come together to form a debut album. In particular "Conditions III", the third act in the EP sequence, released in February 2025, confirms a continuity that places Chalk among the most highly rated next big thing acts on the UK alternative circuit, at the forefront of redefining the boundaries of the British post-post-punk scene, blending dark noise-industrial sounds and razor-sharp distorted guitars with the irrepressible euphoria of techno music: an unmistakable rock aesthetic that would hold its own on the stages of electro-oriented festivals too.

To get a fairly precise idea of their approach, just listen to "Afraid": like shaking up A Place To Bury Strangers and Underworld in the same container. A powerful, propulsive sound. These tracks capture the black-and-white imagery of the UK's bleakest urban landscapes, while at the same time expressing that desire for redemption through pounding dance rhythms capable of setting any alternative club alight. All of it brought to completion in a recording studio set in the absolute isolation of remote northern Iceland, against a backdrop of Nordic landscapes perfect for amplifying the sense of loneliness and disorientation. Someone has dubbed it "Berghain-rock", a label as bold as it is spot-on for describing a dense monochrome sound ready to take flight amid thunderous breakbeats and gripping sonic assaults.

"Leipzig 87" leads us by the hand into an illegal rave, "Tell Me" outlines a state of dramatic nocturnal claustrophobia, while "Pool Scene" opens up towards unpredictable future scenarios, with a development that - setting aside the usual central crescendo - feels more considered, with melodies that now become clearer and synths ready to support the song's restless melodrama. A necessary moment, after absorbing an almost unbearable amount of vibrant intensity, both emotional and sonic. In March 2025 they played two Italian dates, in Bologna and Milan, fiery sets that, unsurprisingly, had already earned them the chance in the preceding months to open for Idles, Sprints and PVA.

Formed as a trio, Chalk - now down to two - arrive at their debut album. The full-length debut by Benedict Goddard (guitar and synth) and Ross Cullen (vocals), "Crystalpunk", shows a greater pursuit of the anthem, an unsurprising detail given the huge success they've achieved, along with a few blanks fired here and there. The reference points range from the inevitable Nine Inch Nails, to techno episodes in Orbital and Underworld territory, with a few veiled forays into darkwave, setting aside the post-punk quota entirely. Matching the memorable heights of the EPs are the electrified jolts and booming drums of "Tongue" alongside the nineties industrial memories of the following "Pain", while "Can't Feel It" pushes towards dance and electro, before slowing down and chasing sing-along moments with the drier sound of 2000s indie-rock and alt-rock on "Longer".

Less memorable are the pop-leaning pursuit of "One-Nine-Eight-Zero" and the echoes of the brief, whispered interlude "Eclipse", whose atmospheres partly recall Burial, before things get back on track with the almost entirely instrumental techno-industrial peak "Skem".

The final triptych slips from the hypnotic rhythms of "I.D.C." into the long and interesting Underworld-esque experiment "Béal feirste", while the buzzing closer "Ache" comes across as a muted extra.

With "Crystalpunk", Chalk don't fully satisfy (on record, at least) the level of expectation set by their earlier, brief releases; that said, it's well known that the band's live shows leave no one indifferent, and these tracks seem well crafted to hit hardest in a live setting. A transitional phase that could push them toward more electronic (and pop) territory in the near future.

(Claudio Lancia, Martina Vetrugno)