Review / 200 Words Or Less
Powerplant
A Spine/Evidence EP

Static Shock Records (2020) Mirza

Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP cover artwork
Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP — Static Shock Records, 2020

Elvis fronting Joy Division, That was the first thing that came to mind when the first song on this five song EP kicked off. Then my thoughts continued on to Gallon Drunk’s punk blues. Deep, brooding and slow and it actually sounds a bit different to the remaining quartet. Theo Zhykharyev is crooning like some drunk, evil Elvis (not Danzig!) and then all of a sudden you get the added spice of horror keyboards thrown in. Quirky and intriguing, but as I said, a bit different to the remaining songs while still retaining a clear sound of their own. Opener "A Spine" has a more dance friendly vibe and from then on things go to being a lot more energetic and even mosh friendly, culminating in the almost hardcore-like "Hurlwood", which to me brings back memories of the glorious Murder City Devils. But the pick of the bunch is number three, "Evidence", because the simple synth beat makes you want to dance i a London dive bar and drink cheap cider.

The recording project has gone from being a one man operation run by Zhykaryev to a full live line-up after last year’s LP People in the Sun. Keep a close eye on them and grab your self a copy of this simple beauty.

7.0 / 10Mirza • June 8, 2020

Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP cover artwork
Powerplant – A Spine/Evidence EP — Static Shock Records, 2020

Related features

Powerplant

One Question Interviews • February 8, 2021

Related news

Powerplant Crosses the 'Bridge of Sacrifice'

Posted in Records on January 19, 2026

Powerplant and the sound of Crashing Cars

Posted in Records on April 30, 2025

Powerplant's Grass

Posted in Records on June 17, 2023

Recently-posted album reviews

Karen Dió

Fugaz
Hopeless (2026)

Six songs. That's all Karen Dió needs on this EP. Considering the title translates roughly to fleeting, brief, or transient in Portuguese, maybe that's exactly the point. Dió's second EP doesn't hang around long enough to overstay its welcome. It arrives, makes a hell of a lot of noise, throws some gigantic hooks at you, and disappears. But there's considerably … Read more

Real Numbers

Was It Always This Way
Slumberland Records (2026)

I feel like this may be the first 12", 10-song release in my collection from Real Numbers, a dreampop meets jangle-indie rock band from Minneapolis. I'm not going to fact check my statement, because I mean it as a metaphor. Real Numbers play exactly what you'd expect based on my short description so far, but there's always something just a … Read more

Alien Nosejob

How A Mosquito Operates
Anti Fade, Iron Lung (2026)

The one-man band of Alien Nosejob continues to crank out short, angry hardcore in quick bursts. I've lost count of how many records Jake Robertson has now released under the name. I'll just say that while the first couple took some direction changes, the project seems to have found its footing in 1980s-influenced hardcore. With 17 songs in 24 minutes, … Read more