The 1980s turn collapse into an anthem, blending shoegaze grandeur with post-punk fury on their explosive new EP.
The 1980s, Melbourne’s premier purveyors of dreamy devastation, return with ‘Decade of Decline’, a title track that doesn’t just capture their essence—it amplifies it.
Nowhere is this balance more potent than on ‘Decade of Decline’, the blistering title track from their sophomore EP.
Coming off the back of their 2024 debut ‘Welcome to … The 1980s’—a record that introduced us to their raucous charm via standouts like ‘Grapes and Gravy.’
This new cut sees the band doubling down on their wall-of-noise aesthetic while sharpening their songwriting into something fiercer and more anthemic.
Recorded at the now-shuttered Head Gap Studios with Finn Keane, mixed by Matt Voigt, and mastered by Chris Downer, the track, ‘Decade of Decline’ is a storm of swirling shoegaze guitars, pummeling rhythms, and raw, impassioned vocals that feel both personal and universal.
The track builds like a slow-motion riot—layered percussion and hypnotic bass locking in before the guitars erupt in a blissful cacophony, evoking the savage beauty of Ride crossed with the post-punk urgency of Fontaines D.C.
Lyrically, it’s a clenched-fist rallying cry against collapse, but sonically, it’s pure exhilaration—proof that The 1980s find liberation in the chaos.
The EP as a whole showcases the band’s growth—three vocalists now share the mic, adding dynamic depth, while the rhythm section (shoutout to Julian Hammond’s metronomic bass and Ben Rankins’ powerhouse drums) drives the songs harder than ever.
But it’s the title track that lingers longest, a five-minute epic that swings between introspective restraint and full-throttle catharsis.
By the time it collapses into feedback, you’re left breathless, ears ringing, ready to hit play again.
If ‘Welcome to … The 1980s’ was the sound of a band finding their feet, ‘Decade of Decline’ is them sprinting forward—louder, tighter, and more fearless.
As they sing on ‘Sun Beats’, they’re “a little bit damaged, but functional.”
Here, they’re not just functional—they’re unstoppable.
Listen to ‘Decade of Decline’ below.
