Wholes – Berlin
Wholes' 'Berlin' is a searing noise-rock collision from Ghent, fusing 80s new wave tension with thrilling post-hardcore ferocity
Wholes open 'Berlin' at collapse's edge. The track drops you straight into nervous, serrated guitars and a frantic drum pulse that refuses to let up. Wolf's vocals sit low in the mix, almost whispery, carrying lines about Swiss banks selling lives and cities on the brink. There's Josh Homme in that delivery, but darker, and maybe a wee bit more cornered. Let it be clear; I love this song. It's kinda noisy as fuck, but has a TV on the Radio-esque groove at it's heart that really works. There's a pinch of the 90s in there too, to my ears. Superb noise rock, raw and utterly magnetic.
Wholes are a Ghent outfit formed from the ashes of Elefant, Pink Room, Sophia, Hypochristmutreefuzz, and kolektiv. Their 2025 debut A Mass In The Water earned serious notice, with HUMO calling them 'our country's best kept noise secret' and Turn Up The Volume praising their 'raging ripper' energy. 'Berlin' arrives as part of WHOLES/NOT WHOLES, a project where five bands reinterpret Wholes' tracks. Sounds like fun, right? In short, if you like your rock noisy, this is the band for you.