The Murder Capital – “Don’t Cling To Life”

Post Author: Jeff Cubbison

Dublin post-punk band ponder death on propulsive new single

The Murder Capital is a post-punk band from Dublin, and one of the most hyped new rising bands in all of Europe. Thanks to their rowdy live shows, they generated intense buzz before they’d even released a single song; now that they’ve dropped a couple, their hype has only multiplied. And today, they’ve shared another terrific new one – the moody and pummeling “Don’t Cling To Life” – off their forthcoming debut album When I Have Fears, out 8/16 via Human Season Records.

“Don’t Cling To Life” is another classic post-punk ripper, capturing propulsive guitar riffs, pulsating percussion, driving basslines, and guttural vocals. The Murder Capital ruminates on the concept of death, and the inherent fears associated with it that influences people in their frenetic lives. “We remember why we die, we remember why we die/ Don’t cling to life, don’t cling to life/ Don’t cling to life, don’t cling to life/ There’s nothing on the other side,” the singer croons, full of melancholy. It’s an exercise in parsing the lines between darkness and light, assisted through a hazy, emotive tapestry of new wave and art-punk. The track’s stunningly-shot music video is a collage of both harsh and idyllic symbolism: a group of people frolic ritualistically in an open pasture, intercut with close-up black-and-white shots of various intimidating imagery flashing across the screen.

Overall, it’s a gloomy and spiritual cut, and another dark triumph for The Murder Capital. You can pre-order When I Have Fears HERE, and watch the video for “Don’t Cling To Life” below.