Post Profit - 'Self Defeater' review
Post Profit
One of the more talked about bands of SharpTone’s 2023 calendar is Texas troupe, Post Profit. They continue to blaze their own path on the North American scene, hot off dates playing with Nothing More and Dead Poet Society. Post Profit are dropping their latest EP, Self Defeater on 17 November, here's our thoughts:
The opening track 'Karmakaze' is a quick couple of minutes of 2000/2010's like rock. Its lyrics carry a lot of ambiguity combined with single-line utterances. The delivery of the vocals is at its strongest when it’s in a higher register during the main hooks of the song. The throwback sound is part of a resurgence in the post-hardcore scene in recent times. Vocalist Matt Jackson sounds akin to an early Brent Smith from Shinedown. 'Karmakaze' does add its own edge to things when introducing harsh vocals which are very well done.
'Self Defeater' is where the release takes an intriguing turn. Its opening is on the foreboding side of things and it has a grungier sound. It's the right choice to use as the title track as it feels like the more complete track of the first two. Zach Hicks is particularly stellar on drums and "Don't take it personal" is Jackson's best hook.
The middle two tracks of Self Defeater have had the spotlight treatment ahead of time. The first of them, 'Cancer Culture' is a departure into a heavier sound, played to excellent effect. Materials ahead of the release pitched the group as a good fit for fans of Deftones. That comparison feels most at home here, drawing similarities to Deftones' tune 'Ohms'. That's where comparisons will stop though, as this feels like Post Profit unfiltered. Complete with a great news station takeover music video, this feels like a step up again as the EP goes on. The production on both the track and the visual work great together. While previous tracks covered a range of sounds, this is the first that feels like a statement of intent. 'Cancer Culture' was a personal favourite of the whole release.
The other side of that coin is 'Drug Emporium', which dropped on 20 October, one of best drops of 2023. 'Drug Emporium' again radiates that 2000's vibe, and wouldn't be amiss on a Tony Hawk soundtrack. That suggestion has an obvious influence from the music video's skate park setting. But 'Drug Emporium' is more than meets the eye. Post Profit themselves explained that the skateboard motif was their own personal touch, but "This song is about the growing pains of growing up in the real world".
Self Defeater seems to tell a story over these six tracks. That growth and maturation continues in 'Two Toxic', as the track again leans on the personal side. That edge is definitely what detaches these tracks from their influences and makes them Post Profit tunes. 'Two Toxic' has a consistent, chugging riff from Jackson and Nick Hawner. There's an argument that this touches more on the hard rock side of genre but it still has its place in Post Profits catalogue. Some excellent harsh vocals in the latter half of the track keep it aligned with the rest of the EP and end it on a high note. Speaking of ending on a high note, 'Keep Your Excuses' is the final track of Self Defeater. Again, the guitar work from Jackson and Hawner is great here. The majority of the song is Jackson singing in that higher register, which is where the EP's stronger performances are. Post Profit finishes things off with a lot of moving parts, 'Keep Your Excuses' shows the most musical range for them.
Self Defeater from Post Profit is out 17 November via SharpTone Records and is available on all good streaming platforms. You can catch Post Profit on co-headline dates with Silly Goose throughout November.
