Brutus VIII
Brutus VIII was not on my bingo card for 2026. But here we are.
You might know Jackson Katz through his contributions to the well-loved Current Joys. Or maybe even through his feature on the remix of Surf Curse’s famous Freaks. I was admittedly unaware of all of the above, and recently discovered the Brooklyn-based beast through Touching Ice’s debut record, I Just Remembered Everything Always Works Out For Me (for which you can find my review in Fresh Finds), on which he narrates the dangerously addictive Perfect Angel Interlude (casually the best song on the record). The two - apparently good friends - had collabed previously on Brutus’ Gluttony Remixed (2024) album, a fascinating spin on his ambitious and successfully seductive Pure Gluttony (2024). The two collabed to remix his original track Creeks, leaving in their wake an electrified, deliciously drum-heavy Creeks Remix that kept intact all the eeriness of its predecessor. Generally, Gluttony Remixed did a good job of taking the fierce nature of Pure Gluttony and turning it up. More wild. More funky. And, consequently, considerably less coherent. While fun, Gluttony Remixed is thoroughly all over the place. It is for this obvious reason that I would not recommend it as a first introduction to Brutus VIII (learn from my mistakes, please). On it, he is experimenting with range, but it leaves us with the impression that he has… no idea what he’s doing.
But, oh boy, he does. Indeed, if there is anything you can pick up from Brutus’ three studio albums A Hackney Pursuit (2018), Beyond (2021), and Pure Gluttony, it’s that the artist is acutely self-aware. Highly political. Lurking about. Lecturing us from the shadows. Occasionally encroaching. Brutus balances eery warning, with ironically abrasive embraces of violence. At its core, Brutus’ project seeks to shatter machismo-ism through showcasing exactly how “society both stokes the flames of angry chauvinism and uses escapism to stave off the feelings of being trapped in a cycle of helplessness.” And yet, Brutus doesn’t leave us feeling helpless. Although heavy and nihilistic, if only for his sonic boldness, his music shows us a sliver of hope. Of imagination. He mocks the current model. Laughs at it. Cries at it. And in doing so, he pokes holes. Holes that create beams of light from the other side. A promise of another vision. Another way. Pulling on the wool over all of our eyes, his innovation inspires us. Prompts us to question. This kind of experimentation isn’t just rooted in Brutus’ love for no-wave, and rejection of the standard cookie-cutter soft indie-rock sound. It is rooted in his rejection of the systems that keep us sick.
This theme is heavier than it has ever been on Pure Gluttony. The Fear Monger - Building a Bomb pipeline is shocking - and fantastic. They compliment each other brilliantly well, not to mention also bring a big breath of fresh air to an alternative scene that can occasionally feel deadbeat. The album goes onto juggle genres and sonic elements like its child's play. Those ridiculous drums on I Didn’t Ask. That bass line on Pure Gluttony. That Frost Children / Snow Strippers club-type f**ked synth on Creeks. The casual tragedy of Neck Tattoo. The hurt of Real Maniac. Violin. Piano. Opera. All that vocal distortion. So much vulnerability. So much dread.
This essence - of impending doom, that is - is one that Brutus has been perfecting for some time now. On both A Hackney Pursuit and Beyond, he established his nihilistic roots, flirting with fear. Both records were notably less hardcore than his most recent. Softer, lighter - but only sonically. Since 2018, Brutus has been singing about suicide. About eating disorders. About hating Nazis. About the fragility of “manhood” as we know it. Both projects are worth listening to, rich with emotion, original production, and fascinating story lines. Still, I privilege Pure Gluttony for its genre-blending that maintains cohesion and conciseness.
Brutus VIII has currently only a small fan base of loyal listeners. His avant-garde sonic approach combined with his political statement (and a niche one at that) may keep it that way. But from what I can tell about Brutus, he isn’t in it for the fame… Or approval. I can only hope that he keeps creating.
