Berlin’s Benzin brings us a blistering barrage of blazing beats and breakneck bursts of brio on Treibjagd, their debut vinyl for Static Age Musik. While Benzin rips through their songs at hardcore tempos (Treibjagd’s 12 songs fly by in a mere 15 minutes), they’re a punk rock band at heart, with songs built around hooky riffs with eruptions of surf-tinged melody a la East Bay Ray from the Dead Kennedys. But while both the songs and the dry, punchy production recall proto-hardcore punk from the US west coast, the vocalist’s German-language speak-singing infuses Benzin’s sound with the icy cool of their country’s rich art-punk tradition (Bärchen und die Milchbubis). Songs range from the spiky minimalism of “Freundschaft” (which sounds like a long-lost Group Sex outtake) and “Traumaspirale” to more fleshed-out, garage-y tracks like “Zeichen Der Zeit” and “Treibjagd,” whose sassy, hip-swinging rhythms and big riffs could win over any Hives fan. Aficionados of artsy and agitated contemporary punk bands like Warm Bodies and Spread Joy are bound to fall for Benzin’s charms, but Treibjagd is a treat for any punker with an ear for a hyperactive hook.
