Pacifist - Greyscale Dreams - Download (2019)

Labels: self released
Review by: Samuel Rodgers

Pacifist are a post-hardcore band from Mumbai, and this is their debut four-track EP. I’ll admit complete ignorance of India’s punk scene, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They deliver a solid slice of thought, compassion, and energy which still has firm roots in hardcore. The frantic drumming and heavy guitar lines are here. But they utilise the loud…soft blueprint skilfully. The vocalist goes from wild shouting to strained yells, while the music opens onto quieter passages of retrospection. The lyrics are political and poetic. The booklet sets them beside greyscale photos of the urban space and its inhabitants. As with any debut EP, there are some small areas for improvement. Track 2 (“Double Down”) is the least refined, and a few stray elements of “beatdown” hardcore cheapen its sound. At other moments, the influence of early At the Drive-In is a little too pronounced. However, these guys know what they’re doing with this confident, slick EP. As a first release, this is astonishingly good and highly recommended.