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D-beat Punk: Constant Light - Demo 2020 (2020)



76 / 100
Constant Light twists punk into something cosmic and noisy, a demo worth watching.

What is d-beat? At a glance, it’s punk played at high speed with its signature drumming patterns, which is often raw and unpolished. However, Constant Light’s demo doesn’t quite fit the typical d-beat mold. This is because their sound carries a heavy atmosphere that obscures the vocals—or perhaps intentionally buries them, much like in atmospheric black metal. This might explain why Constant Light tags themselves as kosmische punk.

The Austin, Texas-based band’s demo consists of three tracks, packaged in a cover that mirrors the traditional d-beat aesthetic that dominated by stark black-and-white artwork, with hints of raw black metal imagery. Musically, though, it’s a hybrid: d-beat drumming in the vein of Discharge, layered with thick, reverb-heavy guitars reminiscent of psychedelic rock and shoegaze, in example is My Bloody Valentine, to build a dense atmospheric wall. This is evident in “No Reward” and “Leaking Cooper.” At times, I even sense shades of stoner rock or djent-style guitar phrasing, especially on “A Clean Corpse.”

The vocals, in line with the atmospheric approach, are delivered in a lethargic, drugged-out manner—so deeply buried in the mix that they feel submerged, especially on "No Reward". This is a striking contrast to the energetic, central vocal presence typical of punk, and it makes their sound stand out.

From a production standpoint, the demo is surprisingly strong. The band doesn’t settle for a dry, lo-fi noise aesthetic but instead leans into a thick, immersive noise wall. Credit is also due to Will Killingsworth, whose decades of experience in recording and mixing (working with bands like Full of Hell and Act of Impalement) helped shape Constant Light’s chaotic textures into something that remains listenable despite its density and abrasiveness.

Although this isn’t my everyday kind of listening, Constant Light offers something truly unique, a refreshing take on d-beat with cosmic, atmospheric depth. Highly recommended for fans of punk’s darker and more experimental fringes. Hopefully, more material will follow soon.

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