Die Spitz
Something to Consume
THIRD MAN
If you were ever confused as to what additional contributions Zoomers might have to the late-capitalist counterculture beyond Greta Thunberg, rest assured that you now have Die Spitz. Austin-born and in their early twenties, the punk band started as a joke between childhood friends, if you couldn’t tell by their landing on a moniker one has no choice but to pronounce with a stifling German accent. Behind the name, the quartet’s success has carried them all across the globe on tour—and, more recently, to Nashville, where they joined Third Man Records’ legendary roster.
Notorious for starting riots in the pit at their shows and stimulating a broader incite-mayhem vibe, Die Spitz has made their reputation as cold-hard punks crystal clear even before having an album to their name. A femme-fronted band of twentysomethings hasn’t gained this much traction for their behavior with the music to back it up since Amyl and the Sniffers, who Spitz consider their “energy rivals.” Their debut full-length Something to Consume carries that pent-up energy in a bold, garish metal fusion. Echoing Nirvana, System of a Down, and contemporary Swedish punks Viagra Boys, the group has plenty to say about modern life in 11 tracks ripe with political turmoil and skatepark angst.
Singles “Throw Yourself on the Sword,” “Punisher,” and “Pop Punk Anthem (Sorry for the Delay)” thrum like a midnight train speeding through the stages of grief (albeit perhaps stuck on “rage”). Trapped in the clear cries of Die Spitz is a longing for change, a frustration that ultimately lights up pained, vengeful songs that attempt to inspire our culture to see its own suffering as it crumbles. With anthems that sound as hard as they feel close to the heart, the band shapes masterful guitar work and billowing percussion into what feels like emotions bleeding into a song. They reach new decibels and spark conversations on what is fair, what is right, and what is healthy in a corrupted society.
And as grimy as these topics can be, their sound stays artful and professional, moving with rapturous conviction thanks in part to the deft production hand of Will Yip. A record demanding to be heard, Die Spitz spins the title of Something to Consume on its head by poking holes into the foundation of what it means to speak your voice in our content-centric culture. Ludicrously urgent and deeply fierce, Die Spitz are vital and explosive with plenty of room to grow.
