With “Fight Song” NYC art/avant garde rock quintet Ecce Shnak delivers a striking, aggressive and thought-provoking performance that stands as a sonic assault and an ironic commentary. Emerging as the second release from their “Backroom Sessions” EP, this live rendition resurrects a deep cut from the band’s early years, with new lyrics and a sharper edge. Far from a conventional pop hit, Ecce Shnak’s “Fight Song” is a turbulent fusion of djent-inspired guitar riffs, theatrical vocal delivery and percussive drive. In its live form, the track’s chaotic punk energy is amplified, and the band’s raw chemistry is unmistakable. The track is unrelenting, with fierce guitar stabs and a rhythm section that flirts with both precision and pandemonium. Yet beneath the bluster, there’s a thoughtful composition—moments of deliberate space and dynamic shifts that reflect the group’s theatrical roots and refusal to adhere to conventional song structure. By reviving this satirical piece more than a decade after its original release, Ecce Shnak exposes the enduring—and worsening—presence of vitriol in our daily discourse. “Fight Song” challenges listeners to confront the band’s penchant for experimentation and their raw, unrelenting adrenaline rush. It’s jarring, clever, disturbing, but relevant. And Ecce Shnak stand at the point where two different worlds, art rock and punk rock collide! Listen to this live version of “Fight Song” and you will agree with me – I am sure the whole “Backroom Sessions” EP will be a surrealistic blast, a strange and beautiful manifest, a real groove!
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
