Protomartyr - Ultimate Success Today

Domino

July 17th, 2020.

The fifth, and at the time potentially final, act in Protomartyr's discography came in the form of Ultimate Success Today(UST). Building on the bands somewhat breakthrough record in Relatives in Descent, and continuing on the maturation that previous albums slowly built upon, UST finds the band at a crossroads of straight-to-the-point Punk and a burgeoning slow build of self-reflective, burning essence.  

With death comes re-birth; though not in the same physical form - energy transforms as it moves through the gates. Thoughts change to feelings; feelings change to manifestations; manifestations move mountains, or build them. The river flows as you go - a conduit for stress off your chest. Stop, and clog up with growths of bad luck - congealed essence. Putrid. Bottled and bargained with. A soul with a sell-by date. Actions take on a maligned demeanour. If I can't, then no one will. What's mine is mine, man. Better look elsewhere. Maybe in the next life, but, then again, if not now, then never. 

Flies rub their wicked hands as they suck at your flesh. They nibble on the worst ones. A free meal. A rotten but tasty one at that. The past is full of dead men, the future is a cruelty. A soft sternness, like a knife in your purse. Cold as ice, yet kind, forgiving and giving. Frightened but fearsome. A strength of another kind. Take your hands out of my pocket, I'm talking to you. A quick examination reveals you're not ready; not cut from the right cloth. Step up and get smacked down. This isn't your place; it never was, nor will it ever be. 

A dull ache turned sharp. A problem that was once on the periphery has now become a central theme. Unavoidable. Full view. Pain in the here-and-now. The past becomes present, but certainly not a gift, at least not of the wanted kind. A gift veiled in all your past deeds, misalignments, shortcuts. A mirror held up to the unchecked ego. Flatter yourself, but be careful - you don't get away with anything. It comes back. It all comes back. As much as you try, you can't escape yourself. Wherever you go, there you are. 

I exist, I did. I was here, I was. 

I caught Protomartyr on their tour in support of UST. It was as transcendental as you would have wished. I got to thank Joe for playing in Cork after the gig and said a quick "hello!" to Greg and Scott as they packed away their gig-bits.