THE VIOLENT YOUTH - Tsvety

The fact that Molchat Doma stand apart in today's crowded post-punk landscape is inextricably tied to their Belarusian origins (brutalist imagery included) and to the popularity they've found among younger listeners, thanks in no small part to an old track of theirs ("Sudno") that went viral on TikTok.

Since their breakthrough, a few acts back home have tried to jump on the bandwagon of the aforementioned trio, among them Super Besse and Violent Youth, two projects that have long since left Minsk for Germany, relocating to Berlin and Augsburg respectively. The results, however, have been rather less impressive.

The duo fronted by Arthur Tsymbal picks up from where their previous record "Na Igle" (2024) left off, a more-than-decent effort in full post-Soviet style (albeit without the lo-fi element so fashionable in that scene). Just dive into the title track or the following "Sledy" to understand this: two solid compositions in which the post-punk approach is bolstered by a (not too invasive) use of synthesizers. A start, though, that's destined to give way to something darker and more reflective (the lyrics center on themes of distance and loss), since by the time "Zvedvy" and "Horosho" roll around, the horizons already turn greyer. The intentions are there, the inspiration somewhat less so. The same pattern repeats through the rest of the tracklist, a run of songs too flat and uniform to surprise (only the closing "Do Utra" manages to stir up some emotion worth noting).

While on one hand Molchat Doma's output — often criticized, incidentally, by a section of the dark audience — keeps pulling along a string of lesser-known bands formed at the far edges of Eastern Europe, it must be said that none of their various followers has managed a real leap in quality. Violent Youth included, who here unfortunately prove less incisive than the promise shown in their earlier work, where the synth-pop element at least guaranteed the songs a decent bit of energy.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

05/04/2026