Review: Staticlone ‘Better Living Through Static Vision’

20th May 202520th May 2025 Renzo Hardcore, Punk, Relapse Records, Staticlone

Punks Not Dead…

Philadelphia has a strong punk and hardcore tradition, though the genre is associated with bands like Bad Brains, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Flipper, Minor Threat, and Blacklisted. The latter emerged as a new force in the Philadelphia scene and became one of its more prominent acts, carrying that tradition forward.

Staticlone'Better Living Through Static Vision' Artwork — Staticlone ‘Better Living Through Static Vision’ Artwork

From the ashes of Blacklisted comes Staticlone, fronted by guitarist George Hirsch alongside fellow guitarist and comrade Dave Walling. They offer a strong alternative for those who love old-school hardcore mixed with a fresh sound that leans into more complex structures. Better Living Through Static Vision is their debut, released in 2025 through Relapse Records.

Staticlone is influenced by the ferocious sound of Bl’ast and the UK hardcore of Discharge, there’s also a crossover thrash energy à la Attitude Adjustment, and a sludge of Electric Messiah era of High on Fire.

The record opens with the title track, Better Living Through Static Vision, a short instrumental that sets the tone and intensity of their music. Then comes Honeycomb, with its fast, distorted ’80s-style bass intro. Right away, you can hear the difference from Blacklistedas this leans more into sludge than pure dissonant punk and is a very catchy track.

This Light Burns Like Poison, the third song, opens explosively before slowing down midway and fading out in that same restrained mood. Sullen Me and Moths continue the energy of their sound – tight, fierce, and urgent. Even if they don’t surprise much, they’re solid in their delivery.

tight, fierce, and urgent…

Alone In Philadelphia marks another twist, with catchier melodies and a reflective mood – one of my personal favourites. It feels grounded in experience. Patching Holes In A Dead Star is arguably the most Blacklisted-sounding song on the record – more aggressive and familiar in its grit. Thin Places and Lens Flare go deeper, more emotional and reflective, touching on memory and the way time distorts perception.

The record closes with the powerful Red Eye, another standout and personal favourite. A strong, emotionally charged ending to the album, the track deals with the idea of the American Dream and Hirsch’s connection to Philadelphia. As he puts it: ‘I’ve never romanticized or even understood the American dream of ‘going west.’ I am an East Coast person. It’s convenient, and based in reality.’ The song was released with a great video that plays with the idea of the distorted reality we live in.

Better Living Through Static Vision is a great release with ten songs and a runtime of just twenty-seven minutes. Honouring the punk tradition more in its energy than in its sound, Staticlone is a new breed on the punk scene: revamped hardcore punk with a sludge touch that gives it the power it needs to stand up to the newcomers, while simultaneously elevating the figure of its frontman, George Hirsch. This is a great album that only gets more interesting with each listen.

Maybe punk is out of fashion, but Staticlone gave it a new lease of life… Punks not dead…