‘Vendo il mio tempo, non ho scelta, giorni che spariscono, sogni che svaniscono, nulla mi emoziona più, il capitalismo uccide, ti mangia l’anima’ (Vendo Il Mio Tempo) / ‘I sell my time, I have no choice, days that disappear, dreams that vanish, nothing excites me anymore, capitalism kills, it eats your soul’ (I’m Selling My Time)

Until Every Flag Is Burned is the debut album from Hemiptera, following on from their 2024 demo.  It sees the Brighton band continue to hone their rampaging, cello fuelled melodic crust.  The core is built around the darkly metallic heft of the guitar and the galloping intensity of the rhythm section. This scaffolding is then draped in the swirling, mournfully evocative melodicism of the cello.  It elicits in equal measure a melancholic despair at where we find ourselves and a fiercely defiant hope that all is not yet lost.

The vocals, alternating between English and primarily Italian, seamlessly segue between guttural roars and solemn spoken word.  The second track, Tragedy of The Ego, represents the albums lyrical fulcrum, drawing on the work of Errico Malatesta, a leading Italian anarchist activist and thinker at the turn of the 20^th century.  It frames the wider album as it confronts the ravages of a political system that valorises capital over human dignity.

The sombre intro to the searing opener, Vendo Il Mio Tempo (I’m Selling My Time), sees cello braided through neo-classical guitar and primes the ensuing onslaught to perfection.  Highlights including the seething oscillations of Roaches, including the haunting mid-song chant, and the emotionally charged escalation of Notti Nere (Black Nights), while Materasso (Mattress) rather aptly sees a blistering vocal contribution from Morrow’s Alex CF.