Utopie

Reviews

Utopie Virage LP

France has proved to be fertile ground for the kind of spartan, frigid post-Oi! that UTOPIE deals in—bootboy vox and shouted gang refrains twinned with the kind of atmospheric bass lines and utilitarian riffs that one would associate with contemporaries like SYNDROME 81 or BRUX, perhaps. It certainly fits that bill, but it does leave me quite cold. It doesn’t quite have the grit or tunes to grab me for a full LP’s worth of music, unfortunately. Not bad, just not memorable in the slightest.

Utopie Seconde Figure 12″

Had the pleasure of booking a show for UTOPIE a while ago in this tiny vegan restaurant, and they completely tore the place apart. Such a powerful band that delivers both in a live setting and on wax. The best way to describe the sound that this French powerhouse makes is “cold punk.” The mix perfectly encapsulates what this band is capable of. A cold night walk home comes to mind when listening to these tracks, a mixture of post-punk, dark punk, and even a bit of Oi!  Includes a great adaptation of “Ghost Town” by the SPECIALS, here renamed “Ville Fantôme.” A must for late-night trips.