DESOLAT will release their third album, "People As Idiots & Idiots As Leaders", on October 9. The Vienna trio have put it out through a DIY coalition of nine labels across seven countries, with Reptilian Records and Exotic Fever Records handling the United States.
The metal-facing credits are hard to miss. The record was mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound — the man behind EDGE OF SANITY, and a hand in KATATONIA and BLOODBATH — after being recorded and mixed by Rainer Spänle at Cosmix Studio in Vienna. Jarboe, formerly of SWANS, guests on "This Sadness Makes Me Rage", with saxophonist Michael Masen of MOZO MOZO on "No Depression When Dead" and RBK of post-punk outfit ROLLTREPPE on "Wannabe V.I.P."
DESOLAT formed nine years after the breakup of stoner/sludge band CYRUSS, drawing on three veterans of the Viennese underground with time in PHAL:ANGST, CYRUSS, DIM PROSPECTS, LA LIGNE MAGINOT, GFRAST, FACE THE OWL, RADIKALKUR and E.M.S. Their second album, 2024's "Get Sick And Let Me Watch You Die", came out on Reptilian and was the record that got them noticed outside Austria.
The nine songs here follow a concept, and the concept is despair at who is running things. The band's argument is that with wannabe and actual autocrats, far-right populists and religious fundamentalists winning elections, democracy has become fragile enough that even anarchists find themselves hoping it merely holds at its current level — which makes the old revolutionary-versus-reformist quarrel on the left look absurd. Their list of the surrounding figures runs from putin through Orbán, Erdoğan, Trump, Bolsonaro, Milei, Meloni and Kaczyński, with the FPÖ and AfD polling strongly at home and next door. They are equally scathing about a media landscape reshaped by emotionally radicalising social platforms owned by oligarchs with openly anti-democratic fantasies.
The running order tracks that descent. It opens on assessment ("Idiots As Leaders", "Pig Race To The Apocalypse"), moves into depression ("This Sadness Makes Me Rage", "No Depression When Dead") and ends in cynicism and resignation ("Cyberdyne Employment Application", "Humans Are Such Easy Prey"). It is not uplifting, but the anger driving it is audible throughout.
Musically it is noise rock, sludge and hardcore played by anarcho-punks, and for the first time emocore elements have worked their way in, echoing the members' earlier projects. Recommended for anyone who leans toward UNSANE, HELMET, CHERUBS, COUCH SLUT, JESUS LIZARD, ENTOMBED, NEUROSIS, BONGZILLA, TRAGEDY or MINOR THREAT.
It arrives digitally and on marbled oxblood vinyl, released jointly by Reptilian and Exotic Fever (US), Bloodshed666 and Grazil (Austria), Araki (France), minoRobscuR (Germany), Geenger (Croatia), Rat Run (UK) and Geertruida (Netherlands), with distribution by Dischord Direct, Stickfigure and Sounds Of Subterrania. Further preview tracks follow in the coming weeks.
"People As Idiots & Idiots As Leaders" track listing:
- Idiots As Leaders
- Pig Race To The Apocalypse
- This Sadness Makes Me Rage (feat. Jarboe)
- No Depression When Dead (feat. Michael Masen)
- Wannabe V.I.P. (feat. RBK)
- Good People Keep Their Mouths Shut While The Assholes Believe The World Belongs To Them
- The Art Of Shit
- Cyberdyne Employment Application
- Humans Are Such Easy Prey
DESOLAT live: October 16, 2026 — Venster99, Vienna, Austria (album release show), with more dates in the works.
DESOLAT is Alfred Satani (vocals, guitar), Klaus (bass) and Mentl (drums, sampling).
Pre-order: linktr.ee/desolatpeople