1984 - Specjalny Rodzaj Kontrastu

The album Specjalny Rodzaj Kontrastu (eng. A Special Kind of Contrast) by Polish band 1984 is truly an experience. Through the utilization of harsh, half-shouted vocals, loud distorted guitars, background chants, and out-of-this-world lyrics, the band creates an image of a utilitarian landscape, not unlike the one pictured in the book they pulled their name from. Reminiscent of a darker OK COMPUTER, this album does a masterful job of framing a world devoid of any emotion, pulling its themes from a wide range of traditional themes such as the songs Święto Urodzaju (eng. Harvest Festival) and Zaśpiewaj Wojowniku (eng. Sing, Warrior!), as well as mundane, every day occurrences in Zabiłem Pająka (eng. I Killed a Spider). No more than a single listen is needed to transport you to a gray world filled with brutalist architecture, completely controlled by a totalitarian government with no form of escape.