‘We can’t question their authority, Our rights are nothing, but words on paper, Forcing their wishes against our will, The law and punishment are made for us’ (Masters And Slaves)

Sect were a post-punk band from Barcelona, who were active in the early 2010s, with members going on to play in later stalwarts of the Catalan punk community, Belgrado and Lux.  The band released their sole self-titled album in 2012, and despite the band’s relative brevity, it remains a hugely influential release.  This is the album’s fourth pressing.

The band’s sound blends a range of inspirations from UK anarcho-punk to East European melodic punk, by way of early 1980s’ new wave, and refashions them through the lens of a more contemporary post-punk sensibility.  Lyrically, the album mirrors these influences being grounded in anarchist framing of anti-statism and community self-reliance.

The dual vocals, one all furious, yelping energy, the other a gruffer semi-shout, work in call-and-repeat tandem and in synchronicity with the crisply punchy drums and throbbingly resonant bass lines.  Meanwhile, the tautly melodic guitar weaves its contagiously writhing path, perhaps, most notably on Master And Slaves and Scream.

From the pulsing opener, Dreaming, the album sweeps forward with a bleakly irresistible energy, equal parts vibrant exuberance and an almost sorrowful defiance. These dynamics are perfectly captured by Warborn, with its rousing vocal interplay, and Here We Stand, with its raucous opening and stirring call-to-arms climax.  And I struggle to believe that there has ever been a catchier version of a song titled Police Repression.