REVIEWS: Brazilian art-punk trio Herzegovina drop "potent, schizophrenic jangle" with debut LP, 'Emergency'

 American Pancake 1/3/21

Listening to songs like the schizophrenic jangle art-punk "Fellini's Dreams" and smashing jammer, surf punk-esque "Ego Arcade" from Brazil-based Herzegovina and I am pleasantly, ecstatically (in fact) transported to proto-punk, pre-new wave, art-punk sounds circa 1973 to 1979. Within the hills of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Crespo (guitar/vox), Marcello Fernandes (bass) and Mario Mamede (drums) have been creating their post-punk abstracted sound since 2016.

Reprobate Media · Herzegovina - Ego Arcade

As I listened to these two songs that sit smack dab in the middle of their latest album "Emergency" and the divergent mix of tracks prior and after like the jagged surreal "Black Cat" or the bottom-fed bass/guitar assault of the title track or the dark horror pop affection of "Intoxicação" (which is deliciously mind-blowing), I thought of an amalgam of so many artists I love like Television, Devo, Richard Hell and the Voidoids and even early Talking Heads.

Herzegovina will take you on a surreal journey full of dark turns and sharp edges. I am digging the ride.

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