Review
Maniac
Dead Dance Club

Dirt Cult (2018) Loren

Maniac – Dead Dance Club cover artwork
Maniac – Dead Dance Club — Dirt Cult, 2018

Across the board Maniac reminds me of several bands. The vocal timbre of lead vocalist Zache Davis recalls Mark Ryan (Marked Men) and so does the rhythm section, though it’s not nearly as hyper. Justin Maurer, who also picks up the mic at times, has a darker tinge to his songs. The tempo is fast, I guess you’d say in the garage-punk range, though the sound itself is far cleaner – more power pop than any of the previous descriptors. 

The record starts out solid, but unspectacular before hitting its groove in the middle. Here, “Calamine” and “Modern Love” delivers its sweetest pop. “Calamine” is sugar pop with a full-on “oh-oh-oh,” then “Modern Love” has a bit of a dark undercurrent while the band harmonizes to a clean and pleasing hook in the build-up to the “Whoa-oh, it’s a wasteland” refrain. Both songs show a delicate balance of big hooks, tasteful solos, and subtle changeups. This is definitely a stylistic fit on Dirt Cult, alongside bands like Chiller and Low Culture, though broadly speaking Maniac is more contained (which is interesting, given their name).

Lately in reviews, I try to find a single song of an album to represent what the group is doing throughout the record. While that’s not going to work with every release, on Dead Dance Club, the song “Post Post World” gives a strong impression both of what Maniac is doing artistically as well as their broader tone. This song is critical of the modern world, but focuses primarily on their own place within society instead of taking a third-person point-of-view harping on politic structures or specific cultural issues. It’s poppy but there’s something dark within. Maybe the “post” name put this in my head, but I hear a subtle post-punk rhythm that that gives a surreal complexity undercutting the melodic pop on the surface.

Power pop may be the best description for the album as a whole, but I hate to pigeonhole Maniac with a single tag like that. Between the sugar pop of “Calamine” and the darker vibe of Maurer’s songs, there’s a lot more at play. It’s fairly true-to-style, yet with nuances that set it apart. Then, for the ultimate change-of-direction, the band ends things on “Dead Dance Club,” which incorporates a club beat that ends things on a wilder note.

7.5 / 10Loren • October 15, 2018

Maniac – Dead Dance Club cover artwork
Maniac – Dead Dance Club — Dirt Cult, 2018

Related features

Maniac

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • February 28, 2020

Maniac

One Question Interviews • January 19, 2019

Related news

Stud Count gives us "Maniacal Laughter"

Posted in MP3s on July 15, 2022

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

Recently-posted album reviews

Detention

Dead Rock ‘N’ Rollers
Left For Dead Records (2024)

Life ain’t so easy in the detention home- Dead Boys. Emerging from the underbelly of Jersey, made up primarily of three brethren. Raised on rock and roll and sipping from the chalice of early punk rock stalwarts like Da Bruddahs from Queens, Hey Ho! and the Pistoleros of Sexual Nature screaming banshees from across from the large pond. Thus forging … Read more

Nightfreak

Nightfreak
Big Neck Records (2024)

Semi-feral punk outfit NightFreak are back with a self-titled LP filled with breakneck riffs and 70s metal bombast. The Chicago group haven’t slowed down since 2022’s Speed Trials but they have filled out. NightFreak the album is lousy with warm back beats and melodic guitars; although, hardcore vocals and tight drums still reign supreme. Album opener “Blackout” is dead serious … Read more

Death By Unga Bunga

Raw Muscle Power
Jansen Records (2025)

I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he on Merge and collaborates with Mac Superchunk- a dream scenario imo- but he’s also been elusive of my fan boy attempts at cold dm’ing him about stuff even tho we … Read more