The first time I heard Death Pill, I was floored. Raw, defiant, full of urgency, the kind of sound that punches through the digital noise with a clenched fist and something real to say. An Ukrainian all-female trio blending punk, hardcore, and metal influences, their 2023 self-titled debut turned plenty of heads, including mine. So when “Sologamy” landed, I had high hopes. And on first listen? I was hooked.
But here’s the thing. While the energy is undeniably there, and the performances are razor sharp, “Sologamy” is also a complicated listen. It’s more a collection of bold singles than a cohesive album. Every track stands confidently on its own feet, but collectively, the record doesn’t follow through with a strong thematic or stylistic arc. This isn’t necessarily a flaw, in fact, it might be intentional. But it does leave the listener with more questions than answers.
The album kicks off with “Listen to Me, Sister”, a chugging, riff-heavy opener that quickly transforms into a venomous punk anthem. Vocalist Mariana Navrotska wastes no time, howling “Let’s fuck this system!” and setting the tone for what follows: chaos, rebellion, and a relentless refusal to conform.
What follows is a triple-threat of razor-sharp hardcore energy. “Haters Gonna Hate” is a searing blast of fury with its face-melting speed and attitude, while “Ugly Me” offers a more hook-driven take on the band’s anger-fuelled aesthetic. “Craterface” might be the fastest, most unhinged track on the album, a flashbang of unfiltered aggression that dares you to keep up.
Things shift gears on “Don’t Say It So”, a track that tempers the chaos slightly without losing any emotional punch. It flows into “Phone Call”, a song that feels more like a modern pop-rock single, surprisingly tender, radio-ready, and maybe a little too polished for its surroundings. Whether it’s a welcome change of pace or a tonal misstep will depend on the listener.
“Hey, Man” returns us to familiar punk territory with melodic overtones and just enough grit to keep it grounded, while “Monsters (In My Brain)” dives into the surreal, its disjointed verses unspooling into a chaotic, thrashy chorus. Sirens wail, whimpers echo, and the band leans into sensory overload. It’s one of the most experimental pieces on the record and also one of the most memorable.
Strangely, “Outro” is not the final track, though it easily could be. Starting in somber tones before mutating into a mathy breakdown, Navrotska’s clean vocals soar above the nihilistic backdrop, making for a haunting centrepiece. That track in particular speaks directly to the album’s production struggles: created while Navrotska was based in Kyiv during air raids and missile strikes, the very act of making “Sologamy” was a political statement. There is something deeply punk about the defiance inherent in its existence.
The true closer, “Pro Yarika”, is short, sharp, and spoken — a shoutout to their roots and a final reminder that this band does things entirely on their own terms.
Which brings us to the heart of the matter. This isn’t an easy album to pin down. It’s loud, unpredictable, and at times disjointed. It swings between blistering hardcore and melodic punk, between chaos and clarity. As an EP, it might have been near-perfect. As a full-length, it teeters between brilliance and overreach.
But here’s the truth: I’m still booking them. I want to see how this translates live. I want to see a room filled with punks, metalheads, riot grrrl fans, and genre-agnostic thrill-seekers all reacting to this whirlwind of ideas. Death Pill may not have carved a single clear identity yet, but in an age of over-branded bands and algorithm-driven conformity, that might just be their greatest strength.
Rating: 8/10
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Label: New Heavy Sounds
Writer: Andy
Tracklist:
- Listen to Me, Sister
- Haters Gonna Hate
- Ugly Me
- Craterface
- Don’t Say It So
- Phone Call
- Hey, Man
- Monsters (In My Brain)
- Outro
- Pro Yarika
