The first album by the Belgian band Super Dragon Punch!! seems, at first, to have been conceived for us, since, as we have already mentioned, the professions of the couple behind your beloved magazine are related to videogames. Super Dragon Punch!! is Jérémie Venganza’s band, who is also a member of State of the Union and Pro Patria, in which he gives free rein to his love of EBM and retro videogames. They recorded their first EP in 2017 and this record, titled Feral, appeared in the middle of last year, and was remixed by Racso Agroyam from Hocico.
The record could be summed up as “When 8-bit meets EBM”. Indeed that’s just what we find in it, although there are tracks where the video game sounds are somewhat less present. “Inhale” and “Wire” would be two of the compositions where the mix works best and the videogame sounds match perfectly with the fast rhythms of both tracks. When the latter ends, you just miss the final boss level. “Distance” stands out for its energy, a bit more than the first tracks, maybe because its rhythm is even more marked. Apart from some robotic vocals, “Frame” could be a normal EBM track. “Hologram” brings us back to the arcade with another fast track. “Select,” on the other hand, features harsh vocals and new beat keyboards. “Suture” could also pass for an intense, slower, full-on EBM track while “Sense” is extremely danceable. The 8-bit sounds return with “Rancor”, another frenetic track and one of our favourites. Compress” is a fun and fast song. “Crash” presents a contrast between the more futuristic and robotic sounds of videogames and the aggressive, more human tone. We finish with “Reflection”, another powerful track that leaves us a good taste in the mouth.
Undoubtedly, Feral is an original and fun proposal that will delight all those EBM and synthpop lovers who still pick up a controller from time to time.
