If you're a transgender person in the United States currently, you're well aware that shit sucks.
Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, MEM//BRANE is a band that channels these feelings into an uncompromising combination of d-beat and crasher crust.
In their debut album, MEM//BRANE presents a full frontal sonic assault, with the band blending fast-paced d-beat sections with slower, ominous, atmospheric parts. Layered over top of these sections are the deathly gasps and screams from their vocalist, Ellie.
Beyond just sounding ghastly, the lyrics themselves eloquently express the pain of both the vocalist and the broader transgender community at this time. The lyrics for "PTMD," "Racheal Humphreys," and "The Sheer Veil of Fascism" have all stuck in my mind, with the haunting vision they present of the past, present, and future sending chills down my spine.
Beyond just being a collection of great songs, the album as a whole feels coherent in its creation of the desperate and despairing atmosphere MEM//BRANE builds up. Even in the individual songs, the transitions between the slower, crustier parts and the faster-paced d-beat parts feel smooth and well executed, without any transition feeling forced or out of place.
In terms of instrumentation, the guitar(Chad/Tyler) solos and riffs feel amazing, with the solos never overstaying their welcome and the riffs consistently being attention-grabbing when they should be and subdued in the more atmospheric sections. Additionally, Ellie's vocals work well in conjunction with the instrumentals, with her guttural screams giving the album a haunting tone as if one is listening to a ghost warning you of the pain of the past, present, and future.
The drummer(Daniel) also makes amazing use of their symbols in the more atmospheric sections, with the echoing clangs and crashes helping to fill space while adding to that ghostly, haunted atmosphere. Adding to this air of despair is the bass(Eve), with riffs that never feel out of place in an impeccable d-beat bass tone.
This album is a sonic translation of all the daily horrors faced by queer, and in particular transgender people at this time. It is a d-beat death howl that forces you to hear the pained cries of the unheard.
MEM//BRANE's debut album is an amazing piece of d-beat that makes excellent use of the album format’s length. If you can, catch them live!
If you’d like to support MEM//BRANE you can find their album and previous releases on Bandcamp or via the usual music streaming services.
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