Molchat Doma - Etazhi (Етажи)

Etazhi is a coldwave-leaning post-punk album that draws heavily from the bleak romanticism of Joy Division and the long Eastern European tradition of melancholic minimalism. Built on mechanical drum machines, pulsing basslines, icy synthesizers, and detached baritone vocals, Molchat Doma create a sound that is immediately memorable yet steeped in unease. Every melody carries a sense of tension and quiet despair, reflecting life in Belarus with stark emotional clarity.

Rather than dramatic shifts, the album relies on repetition and restraint. Songs bleed into one another through near-identical tones, tempos, and textures, reinforcing themes of monotony, confinement, and emotional stagnation. Language is secondary to atmosphere: even without understanding Russian, the weight of isolation, addiction, and resignation comes through clearly in tracks like “Клетка” and “На Дне.”

The centerpiece is “Судно,” whose looping synth motif and slow-building climax turn bleak subject matter into something unexpectedly anthemic. Its widespread reach is a testament to Molchat Doma’s ability to translate a deeply local emotional landscape into something universal. Etazhi is not about escape or transformation - it’s about endurance, capturing beauty and misery within the same gray, unbroken horizon.